What Did We Get Ourselves Into This Time?
by percylupin
Summary: Aphrodite Potter and her son James are magically transported to Arda when Aphrodite discovers her boyfriend Ron's betrayal. Ron, Molly, and Arthur follow them, trying to get them back. Ginny, George, Luna, and Hermione travel to Arda to warn Aphrodite. There's just one small problem. They've all landed in different places. Will they be able to find each other? Fem!Harry/Legolas
1. Running Away

**Veela!Harry, Fem!Harry, Fem!Harry/Legolas, Ginny/Boromir, Aragorn/Arwen, Alive!Sirius, Alive!Theodred, Sirius/Theodred, Daphne Greengrass/Eomer, Luna/Haldir, George/Eowyn, Hermione/Faramir. I am majorly editing this story. As new stuff goes up I will be deleting that part of old chapters. I am entirely changing the beginning because it is very rushed. The end will probably stay the same, but be spread out over several chapters. I apologize for the inconvenience.**

Aphrodite put her son, James, down on the plush carpet so she could grab a bandage for him. James had fallen outside and cut himself. She frowned when she felt her fingers close around a glass bottle. Carefully, Aphrodite pulled the pink potion out from its hiding spot. "Amortentia," she gasped. "Why is this in...oh." Aphrodite fell back against the wall. She slowly sank down it. Tears began to fill her eyes.

"Gah?" James asked curiously.

Aphrodite gave her son a watery smile. She pulled him onto her lap and accioed a bandage from the box. She gently put it on James. "Aphrodite?" Ron called from downstairs.

Rage filled Aphrodite. Why did Ron have love potion hidden in their bathroom? What use could he have for it? He was her mate! He didn't need to use it on her, so who was he using it on? It most certainly wasn't Aphrodite's! "I'm up here, Ron!" Aphrodite shouted back, hardly hiding the malice in her voice. Ron's thundering footsteps could easily be heard coming up the steps. Aphrodite quickly hid the amortentia back in its hiding spot and wiped her tears. It was simply a fluke. That was all. Ron would never do that to her. He loved her. Aphrodite quickly wiped her teary eyes.

"Hello, love," Aphrodite smiled when Ron entered the small bathroom.

"Hey, babe," Ron grinned. He knelt down and picked James off of Aphrodite's stomach. "You ready to go visit Mum and Dad?"

"Don't forget your brothers and sister," Aphrodite laughed. "Are Hermione and Luna coming?"

"Just Hermione," Ron laughed.

"I can't wait to see Teddy again, Ron. I think we're ready to take care of him, don't you?"

"I don't know, Aphi," Ron stuttered. His face paled drastically. "Taking care of two babies is a lot of money."

"Ron, I'm Lady Potter. We have more money than we know what to do with." Aphrodite frowned at her boyfriend. What was wrong. "I understand if you don't want Teddy, Ron. I just thought it would be nice to have two babies running around."

"No, Aphrodite," Ron snapped. Aphrodite flinched back slightly. Ron's eyes widened. "Sorry, baby. I didn't mean to scare you. I just like having our tiny family."

"Oh," Aphrodite blushed. "Right, sorry. I won't mention it again. If you'll excuse me, I need to go change James' diaper."

Aphrodite grabbed James from Ron's arms. She sped-walk into the nursery. Laying James down on the changing table, Aphrodite started wondering. Ron was known for losing his temper. He yelled quite a lot and it scared Aphrodite. She had thought he had stopped after James' birth. He hadn't yelled once in the past six months. Then, there he goes and yells the day Aphrodite finds a love potion hidden in the bathroom. Was that suspicious at all?

"You ready yet!" Ron yelled up the stairs.

"Coming, love," Aphrodite shouted back. She slid on her flip flops, picked James up, and started down the stairs. Ron grabbed her arm roughly and turned on the spot, disapparating with Aphrodite and James in tow.

"Aunt Aphi!" Teddy shouted excitedly when he saw his godmother.

"Hello, Teddy," Aphrodite smiled. She knelt down to hug her godson. "Have you been being good for Bill and Fleur?"

"Yes, Aunt Aphi," Teddy grinned. "Will you and Jamie pway with me and Vickie?"

"Course, love," Aphrodite replied. "Let me just say hello to everyone." Teddy clapped his hands and ran off to find Victoire. Aphrodite smiled and stood up to greet the others.

"Hello, dearie," Molly grinned happily. She crushed Aphrodite in a hug before grabbing James. James almost immediately burst into tears. Molly looked extremely upset by this.

Aphrodite quickly took him back. "Sorry, Molly. He doesn't like being taken away from me abruptly. Ron can hardly manage it." Ron nodded in agreement.

"That's all right, dear," Molly sighed. She glared at Aphrodite as she left the room to go find the others. The only people left in the room were Ron and Molly. "That little brat," Molly hissed. "How dare she train your son to act like that. When you marry her, Ronald, make sure she learns her place as your slave. It's the only place for creatures like her."

"Of course, Mum," Ron smirked. "Soon, soon enough we'll have the Potter fortune and all the power that comes with being a veela's dominant mate and Lord Potter."

"That's my boy," Molly smiled. She patted Ron on the back of the head. "Go out and mingle. Stay late, your father and I want to discuss our plans with you."

"Sure thing," Ron said as he left the room. Molly followed closely behind him.

* * *

Later that night, after everyone had gone home, Aphrodite lay passed out on the couch. Ron smirked as he placed the dreamless sleep bottle back in his pocket. He had given her enough so she would stay asleep for several hours. He left James sleeping curled into her side. Ron walked into the kitchen of the Burrow. "She's asleep," he called out to his parents.

"Good job, Ron," Arthur said. "Now, let's talk about our plans. You have the engagement ring, yes?" Ron nodded and pulled it out of his pocket. "Good. When Aphrodite wakes up, you'll propose to her. You'll get married in a few months. Once your married to her, you'll become Lord Potter and be very influential in the Ministry. Then, you'll teach Aphrodite her place. She belongs where all other creatures belong, on her knees servicing her master. That's you. With you as Lord Potter, you'll have access to all the Potter funds and own more than a quarter of the wizarding world. We'll run Wizarding Britain."

"Exactly, Ronald," Molly smirked. "You're still feeding her the love potion, yes?"

"Yes, Mum," Ron said.

"Good, she won't be able to say no one you propose then. A veela marriage is binding. Once you're married to her, she's stuck to you for life. Which means, we're set for life."

* * *

Aphrodite yawned as she woke up. She smiled when she saw James staring at her with wide green eyes, identical to her own. Checking her battered watch, she could see it was just a little past midnight. "I bet you're hungry, huh, baby?' she whispered playfully. She picked James up in her arms and carried him to the kitchen. She stopped when she heard voices coming from inside.

"Then, you'll teach Aphrodite her place," Arthur chuckled from behind the door. "She belongs where all other creatures belong, on her knees servicing her master. That's you. With you as Lord Potter, you'll have access to all the Potter funds and own more than a quarter of the wizarding world. We'll run wizarding Britain."

"Exactly, Ronald," Molly smirked. "You're still feeding her the love potion, yes?"

"Yes, Mum," Ron said.

Aphrodite gasped softly and stepped back. She rushed from the room to the living room. She quickly set up silencing wards. Stepping into the Floo, she shouted, "Gringotts! Ragnok's Office!" Aphrodite fell out of the Floo in the office of Ragnok, the Goblin King.

"Miss Potter," Ragnok smiled, "How may I be of service?"

Aphrodite collapsed onto the seat in front of the goblin. "I'm sorry for coming so late, King Ragnok," she apologized. "I would have waited until morning if it weren't so urgent. I need to know if amortentia has been used on me, and I need to know what money has been taken out of my vault by any person besides of myself. I have a feeling people I trusted have been using me to their advantage."

"Ah," Ragnok sighed. He pulled a bowl out of his desk. "If you'll just prick your finger and allow some blood to fall into here." Aphrodite did as the goblin asked. Ragnok waved his hand over the bowl. He frowned as he sat back in his chair and pulled some documents out of the top drawer. "You have been subjected to love potion for about six years now, Lady Potter. It runs thick through your veins. Give it a few days and it should have all washed through your system. As for your vaults, well, you should take a look at this."

Aphrodite leaned forward to take the documents from Ragnok. She felt her eyes become misty as she looked over the document. How could they have done this to her? She had loved them like her own parents! She had loved Ron more than life itself, or she thought she had.

The bank statement made it official. Arthur, Molly, and Ron Weasley were no friends of hers. They had taken over a million galleons from her. Tears began rolling down her cheeks as the parchment fluttered back to the surface of the wooden desk. "I thought he loved me," Aphrodite choked out. "How could he?"

"Well, let us see," Ragnok drawled sarcastically. "You're the Girl Who Conquered, Lady Potter, and a veela. Why wouldn't he?"

"I-I always knew he was j-jealous," Aphrodite stammered, "But I honestly thought he h-had g-gotten over it."

Ragnok eyed the girl curiously. "You must understand veela and goblins have never had close relations, Miss Potter. You are the first veela besides of your mother to treat goblins politely in over three centuries. For this reason, I will aid you. Take this." Ragnok handed Aphrodite a ring with the Gringotts crest on it. "When you are ready to leave, just wish it and you will be transported to the place where goblins originated. The goblins who still there are primitive. They will kill you. Go pack now. You must hurry."

"Thank you," Aphrodite gasped. She quickly grabbed the ring and slid it onto her finger. "Thank you so much, King Ragnok." Ragnok nodded as Aphrodite disapparated with her son.

* * *

Aphrodite stumbled slightly when she landed in her bedroom at her house. It was silent which meant Ron was still at the Burrow. Hopefully, he didn't know she was gone yet. Aphrodite dropped James on the bed, grabbed a bag, and started shoving clothes in it. When she had shoved in a few days worth, she ran into James' room to grab some of his tiny clothes.

Attempting to be quick, Aphrodite brought James downstairs and packed some nonperishable food. She also threw a few healing potions in her bag before shrinking it and shoving it in her pocket. She picked James up and wrapped a blanket around him. _Take us away_, she thought. _I'm ready to leave._ Nothing happened.

"What?" Aphrodite asked when she opened her eyes and she and James were still in the kitchen. She jumped when the Floo went off.

"Aphrodite!" Ron shouted. "Where the bloody hell are you?" Aphrodite moved back toward the door. She put James on the counter behind her. Ron was really pissed. Aphrodite cringed when she bumped a pan. It made a crash as it fell to the floor. "There you are," Ron smirked as he peered around the kitchen door.

Aphrodite's chest heaved as her breath quickened. "St-stay away from me. I know wh-what you're p-planning."

Ron's eyes widened. He stalked forwards, his hand raised. Aphrodite squeezed back as far as she could, the counter digging into her back. Ron swung his arm, fist colliding with the side of Aphrodite's cheek. She gasped in shock. Ron's other fist connected with her stomach. Aphrodite brought her hands up in a weak defense. She groaned in pain when, mixed with the throbbing from the punches, the goblin ring began to burn. A pure white blasted out of the ring and hit Ron, sending him flying backwards.

Aphrodite didn't stay to see if Ron would get up. She grabbed James and fled out the back door. She ran as fast as she could. Daring to look back, she saw Ron in the doorway. He began to give chase. Aphrodite faced forwards once more and sprinted across the street to the dark alley across from her house.

Aphrodite ran through the alley as quick as she could.. She clutched James tightly to her chest. She couldn't believe Ron hit her.

The baby against her chest began crying. "Hush, James," Aphrodite whispered to her infant. "It's alright, baby."

"Aphrodite, get your ass back here!" a voice called out to her. Aphrodite flipped around. Her eyes widened in fear. Ron ran forwards and wrapped his arms around her and the baby she had conceived with him. Aphrodite struggled to get free. "How dare you run out on me. Your place is to serve me. You do not get to run away!"

"Get away from me, Ronald!" Aphrodite shrieked. "I can't believe you! I hate you!" Ron flinched back.

"Don't talk to me that way whore," Ron hissed. "You will get your sorry ass back into my house right now!"

Aphrodite broke away from her boyfriend's grip. "I hate you, Ronald Weasley," she spat out. Magic began swirling around her. Ron, like the idiot he was, tried to edge closer to her. Aphrodite's eyes widened as she stared at the magic. She pulled James tighter to her chest as she disappeared from the dark alley. Ron groaned when he realized his girlfriend was no where to be seen. He stood up. How was he going to explain this to his mother.


	2. Arriving

This must be the place Ragnok was talking about, Aphrodite thought to herself as she stood up from the ground. She looked around her. She could clearly tell she was in a cave. Where the cave was, she had no idea.

"Hello," Aphrodite called out into the darkness.

"Gah?" James asked. Aphrodite lit her wand so she could see her son. It was darker than night in the cave. James was staring at his mother with wide eyes. "Gah?" he asked again, pointing at a spot behind Aphrodite. The young woman slowly turned around. Her eyes widened at what she saw.

"Hello, dearie," a goblin sneered. "How delicious you look."

"Master Goblin," Aphrodite said hoarsely, "I have been sent here by your counterparts in the other world."

"Mmm," the goblin smirked. "Foreign delicacy."

Aphrodite's eyes widened to astronomical size as she screamed. James started crying when he heard his mother's scream. Aphrodite turned and ran, not sure if she was running out of the cave or farther into it. The goblin started chasing her. Hearing the clanking of its shoddy armor, Aphrodite began running faster.

"Help!" Aphrodite yelled. "Please, help me!"

It turned out she had chosen the right direction to run in because after a minute or two, light appeared at the entrance to the cave. With an extra burst of energy, Aphrodite rushed through the entrance where two armed men were waiting. One man grabbed Aphrodite's arm and pulled her and James behind himself. With a quick slash, the leader of the group of men slashed the goblin's head off.

"Are you alright their, lass?" the man who had pulled her behind him asked. "We've been tracking that goblin for miles. Keeps stealing our children, he does."

Aphrodite took a minute to catch her breath. "I'm okay, sir. Thank you for helping my son and me. I am Lady Aphrodite Potter."

The man who had slain the goblin looked Aphrodite up and down. "No offense lass, but you don't look like no royal."

Aphrodite looked down at her clothes. A pair of sweatpants and a tee-shirt probably weren't the most lady like things to be wearing. "If you must know, she scowled, I am running away."

"From the palace?" the first man asked.

"My boyfriend," Aphrodite snapped. At the confused looks, she corrected herself. "My courtier."

The leader looked affronted. "You mean to tell me you just up and left your husband with his heir?" A dark look had passed over his eyes.

The first man stepped in front of Aphrodite. "Now, Edwin, give the poor girl a chance," he chided. "She has just been chased by a goblin."

The second man glared at Aphrodite. "It better be a good story wench."

"I hope you think it is," Aphrodite sighed as she flopped down on the ground, settling James in her lap. "It all started on my seventeenth birthday. I assume you two know about wizards and witches since you just killed a goblin."

"We do," Edwin, the second man agreed.

"Well, I'm a witch. I was sent here from another world. Where I come from, goblins get along with wizards well enough."

"They are friendly?" the first man asked. "I am Rowan, by the way, my lady."

"A pleasure," Aphrodite smiled. "Yes, the goblins from my world are friendly. Anyways, there was a dark wizard, and he was after me because he tried to kill me when I was a baby and failed. The goblins called me into their kingdom to negotiate with me. There it was discovered I was a veela."

"A what?" Rowan asked. He seemed the friendlier of the two. At the least, he wasn't glaring at Aphrodite and James like Edwin.

"A veela is a creature that is considered the most beautiful creature in my world. They are literally the epitome of their culture's ideal ideas of beauty."

Rowan nodded with wide eyes. "You are as beautiful as the elves, my lady."

"Thank you, Rowan," Aphrodite smiled. "As I was saying, my courtier, Ronald, was there with me. At the time, he was just my best friend. I should have realized it then. Ronald started acting odd. He closed himself off from me and his own family. All of a sudden, he asked me to dinner. After that, I fell in love with him so fast it was unrealistic. Veela have a life mate. They physically cannot live without their mate. When I came into my veela inheritance, that is when I developed all my powers that come with being a veela, I thought Ronald was my mate. I was so sure."

"He took me for a fool. Everyday, I fell farther and farther in love with him. Everyday, I became more and more sure Ron was my mate. I had never been so sure of anything before in my life. When a veela finds their mate, they are technically married. Ronald and I were married in the eyes of the world. He took that to his advantage. We had James together."

"You weren't married?" Edwin asked in disgust.

Aphrodite scowled at him. "In the eyes of the world, we were married. That is the veela law. James was born six months ago. Earlier this morning, or at least I think it was this morning, I found love potion under the sink."

"I'm going to guess that is a potion that makes you fall in love with someone," Rowan guessed.

"Yes," Aphrodite sighed. "That's exactly what it is. I thought, more hoped, that the people who last lived in the house had left it there. I should have known better. Ron and I had lived together in that house for three years. Not once did I ever see love potion under that roof until today. I ignored it. I tried to forget. It's been in the back of my mind for the entire day. James, Ronald, and I went to Ron's childhood home. We stayed later than his brothers and sister. I fell asleep with James. I woke up with James when he got hungry. I was going to the kitchen when I overheard Ronald, his mother, and his father talking."

"They were talking about me and James. Arthur was speaking of how they were using me for my money. How Ron was playing me because once he and I were wed through the law he would be Lord of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter. He would control more than a fourth of Wizarding Britain and be the richest man in wizarding Britain. Then Molly, she's Ronald's mother, asked him if he was still giving me the love potions. He said yes."

Here Aphrodite broke off. Tears were pouring down her cheeks in torrents as the days events caught up with her. It all seemed so surreal, like a nightmare come true. "I ran to the goblin kingdom to meet with the king. Historically, veela and goblins don't get along, but we bridged that conflict. He gave me a ring that would transport me here after I had gathered everything I needed. I returned to my home and packed some of James and my clothes. I went down to the kitchen to grab some food. After I finished packing a little food, I shrunk my pack and put it in my pocket."

"Really?" Rowan asked curiously.

Aphrodite smiled and pulled the tiny pack out of her pocket. She tapped it with her wand and it grew to normal size. "Magic is an amazing thing. I was about to leave with James when Ronald turned up. I hid James behind me because I had never seen Ron so upset. I was afraid he'd hurt my son. Ron came at me. I didn't have time to defend myself." Aphrodite fingered the deep purple bruise on her cheek. She cringed slightly at the pain. "He hit my cheek and my stomach." Aphrodite gently rubbed her stomach where Ron hit her. "I raised my hand and the magic of the ring began to work. Ron was blasted back. I grabbed James and ran. Ron chased me, but the magic of the ring was already working. I was transported here with James."

"My apologies, my lady," Edwin said, bowing his head. "I should not have spoken before knowing the whole story. I was not aware that he forced himself upon you."

"Apology accepted," Aphrodite said. "Now, since I am new to this world, would you mind terribly bringing me to the closest town?"

"Of course not, milady," Rowan bowed. "I should warn you not to go around telling people you aren't married and that you ran away from the father of your child. Most won't listen to your story like we did."

"Thank you again," Aphrodite said, standing up. "I am greatly in your debt."

"Think nothing of it, lass," Rowan chuckled. "I'm always willing to help in damsel in distress."

Edwin sheathed his sword. "Come along then. We're about an hour's walk from Bree. You can stay in the Prancing Pony there."

Aphrodite was about to start walking out of the woods with them when James started to cry. "Oh, you haven't eaten in a while, have you?" Aphrodite asked softly. "Would you mind terribly if I went and fed him?"

"We'll turn around," Rowan said. "You can go into the entrance of the cave. Don't go past a few feet in. There could be other creatures in there."

"Thank you again," Aphrodite said thankfully. She went a couple feet into the cave and turned around.

"Tell us when your done!" Rowan shouted.

**"I will," Aphrodite called back. She pulled the collar of her tee-shirt down and let James latch onto her nipple. When he was done, Aphrodite fixed her bra and shirt and turned back around. **"You two can look now." The two men turned back around to face her.

"Shall we get on, then?" Edwin asked.

"Lead the way," Aphrodite replied.

* * *

Once in Bree, Edwin and Rowan left Aphrodite and James at the entrance of the Prancing Pony. Aphrodite was about to enter when she realized what she was wearing was not appropriate for where she was. With a quick flick of her wand, Aphrodite's tee-shirt and sweat pants turned into a dark green dress.

Aphrodite got her hand on the door before stopping again, realizing she hadn't brought any money. "How could I have forgotten to bring money?" she asked herself softly, slowly backing away from the door.

"Are you lost, milady?" a deep voice asked from behind her. Aphrodite quickly turned around.

"N-no, I'm fine," she stammered. The man was tall compared to her 5' 3.

"You wouldn't happen to be Lady Aphrodite Potter, would you?" the man asked, gazing into Aphrodite's bright green eyes. Aphrodite nodded her head. "Wonderful," the man smiled. "Come, we have much to discus. Gandalf sent me to find you."

"Who?" Aphrodite asked. But the man had already grabbed her by the arm and dragged her inside.

"A room for two, please," the man said.

"This your wife then, Ranger?" the man sitting on the stool asked the man who had grabbed Aphrodite by the arm.

"My sister and her son, Butterbur," the man, who still had a tight grip on Aphrodite said. "A room, if you please."

"Right, right," Butterbur said. "Here you are." Butterbur handed the man a key. "To the right of your usual room."

"Thank you, Butterbur," the man said smoothly. He dropped a sack full of coins on the desk of the plump man. "Come, Aphrodite." The mysterious man pulled Aphrodite up the stairs and to a room. He quickly unlocked the door and shoved her inside.

"Who are you?" Aphrodite asked cautiously as she backed up against the wall. She held James tightly to her as she fingered her wand, hidden in a fold of her dress.

"I go by many names, Aphrodite Potter. My real name is Aragorn. You may only call me that in private. When there are other near us call me either Strider or Estel."

"Who is this Gandalf person that you said sent you to look for me?"

Aragorn raised an eyebrow at her as he lowered his hood. "You do not know who Gandalf is? He said you might recognize him by the name Professor Dumbledore."

Aphrodite gasped. "But Professor Dumbledore was killed. Who really sent you? Did Ronald send you to bring me back to him?"

"Gandalf told me to give you this," Aragorn said simply, handing Aphrodite a scroll of parchment.

Aphrodite took it in one hand. She moved over to the bed and sat down with James in her lap. She read the familiar handwriting quickly.

_ Aphrodite,_

_ I'm terribly sorry for all you had to go through after my "death". I need you to know it was an urgent matter that I left on. Had I not been so desperately needed here, I would have stayed t give you all the help you could get. As it is, I am very proud of you. You have done well in the task I left you with. I have never been more proud of anyone. _

_On to business. I have sent Aragorn to you. I know trusting does not come easily to you, but you can most definitely trust Aragorn. I must warn you, Ronald, Arthur, and Molly will follow you here. There is another passageway to Middle Earth, that's where we are, besides goblin rings. The veil your godfather fell through is another passage. _

_Sirius is still alive and well. I'm sure you care greatly about that. As is your friend Daphne Greengrass. Both reside in Rohan at the moment. Daphne wishes me to send you her best. She also says, "Don't die." Sirius can't wait to see you again. Do not worry, you will see them both within a year. _

_You and Aragorn must wait at the Prancing Pony for the hobbits. They are little people with large feet. One is carrying with him a great something. Frodo Baggins carries the Ring of Power. I'm sure you know of what I refer. You are needed here, Aphrodite. You must help protect Frodo and bring him to Imladris. You are the Mistress of Death. You can keep him safe better than anyone else. _

_Good luck, Aphrodite. Know that I have always thought of you as a granddaughter, from the moment I first held you in my arms when you were born. I shall see you soon my dear._

_ Your old professor,_

_ Albus Dumbledore_

Aphrodite looked up at Aragorn. "So Prof ― I mean Gandalf told you to come find me. Now, we're waiting for Frodo Baggins and company to show up. When they get here, we take them to Imladris, wherever that is, and I've completed my job. I'm done."

"That is your task," Aragorn agreed.

"Meanwhile," Aphrodite continued, "I must also pretend to be your sister."

Aragorn blushed slightly. "Ah, yes, sorry about that. I needed to tell him something and that is what popped into my head."

"Peachy," Aphrodite smiled sarcastically. She looked out the window. "How did you get the names Estel and Strider, and why don't you want people to know your real name?"

"When my mother died, I went to live with the elves of Imladris. It is better known as Rivendell to humans such as yourself."

"I am no human," Aphrodite said. "I am a veela. I am also the Mistress of Death, making me immortal."

Aragorn's eyes widened. "You mean you control Death?"

Aphrodite nodded. "Does that frighten you?"

Aragorn gulped slightly. "So you tell Death whose life he can take and whose he can't?"

Aphrodite chuckled. "It doesn't quite work like that, but in short, yes, I can do that."

Aragorn stared at Aphrodite for a few seconds longer. "S-Sorry for staring," he stammered. "Anyways, people call me Strider because I am a Ranger of the North. We tend to wander around. I don't want people knowing my real name because I am the rightful heir to the throne of Gondor."

"Most people would want people to know they are supposed to be king," Aphrodite smirked.

"I don't want to be king," Aragorn said. "I much prefer the wilds."

"You are scared," Aphrodite accused. "Of what, I do not know. But you are frightened by it, whatever it is."

Aragorn shook his head. "You are scarily a lot like Gandalf."

Aphrodite smirked at him. "What time is it?"

"Around seven," Aragorn replied, looking out at the darkening sky.

"Odd," Aphrodite frowned. "I have only been here three hours at the most. I definitely left later at night than four in the afternoon."

"When you passed through to this world, time must have flown differently."

"Right," Aphrodite frowned. Her stomach growled. "Could we go get some food, please?"


	3. Road to Rivendell

**Thank you so much for all the reviews guys. I think I forgot this, so I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER OR THE LORD OF THE RINGS. Now that that's out of the way, thank you for all the nice reviews. Someone asked me to hurry up and get Legolas and Aphrodite back together, they phrased it much nicer than that. I will hopefully have a Aphrodite/Legolas scene in the next chapter.**

It had been two weeks since Aragorn found Aphrodite. They were still waiting for the hobbits in the Prancing Pony. Aphrodite asked Aragorn softly, staring at the four little people that had just entered the pub. They looked tired.

"That's them," Aragorn agreed. He glanced quickly at the baby balanced in his lap. He smiled as James grabbed onto his index finger. The baby stared at the ring on it intently.

"You like kids?" Aphrodite asked.

"I have a soft spot for them, yes," Aragorn agreed. "I'm going to take a guess and say you like kids too."

Aphrodite chuckled. "I've always wanted a huge family. My mother and father were killed when I was a baby. I was sent to live with my aunt and uncle by Gandalf. He didn't want to send me there, but it was the only place I would be truly safe. They weren't exactly the nicest people. They really didn't like magic, so they neglected me. I was deprived of a family. Because of that, I've always wanted a lot of kids."

"My parents died when I was little as well," Aragorn said. "I don't remember them much. The lord of Imladris, Elrond, adopted me when I was a child. I was raised as an elf."

"That's cool," Aphrodite laughed. "I wish my aunt and uncle had been kinder. I didn't even know my real name until I started school. I always thought it was girl or freak."

Aragorn pulled Aphrodite into a hug. He didn't say anything for a while. When he did say something, it was, "James is asleep."

Aphrodite looked at her son and smiled. "I'll bring him up to...Where's Frodo?"

Aragorn flung his head around in time to see Frodo completely disappear from sight. He shoved James into Aphrodite's arms. "Meet me in the room." Aphrodite quickly stood up and moved towards the stairs as Aragorn went to grab Frodo.

Aragorn threw Frodo inside the room when they made it upstairs. "What do you want?" Frodo demanded.

"A little more caution from you!" Aragorn snapped. "That is no trinket you carry!"

"I carry nothing," Frodo defended himself.

"Indeed," Aphrodite said sarcastically. "I have magic to make me undetectable, but to go completely unseen, few things give that gift."

"Who are you?"

"Are you frightened?" Aragorn asked.

"Yes," Frodo said softly, back away softly. Aphrodite placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Not nearly enough," Aragorn sighed. "I know what hunts you."

The door flew open. Three more hobbits entered brandishing candlesticks. Aphrodite waved her wand and the candles went out. "Let him go!" Sam shouted. "Or I'll have you Longshanks!"

"You have a stout heart, little hobbit," Aragorn said as he put his sword away. "But that will not save you. You can no longer wait for the wizard Frodo. They are coming."

"What are they?" Frodo asked as he watched the Nazgûl from across the street in Aphrodite and Aragorn's room.

"They were once men," Aragorn sighed. "Great kings of men. Sauron the Deceiver gave to them nine rings of power. Blinded by their greed, they took them without question. One by one falling into darkness. Now they are slaves to his will. They are the Nazgûl. Ring Wraiths. Neither living nor dead. At all times they feel the presence of the ring. Drawn to the power of the one. They will never stop hunting you."

Frodo shuddered. James began crying. Aphrodite quickly picked him up from his cot. "I will return shortly. I'm afraid it's his feeding time." Aphrodite quickly went into the washroom that connected to the room.

"Where are you taking us?" Frodo asked as he hurried along behind Aphrodite and Aragorn.

"Into the wild," Aphrodite said. "It is the only safe way." James was swaddled in a cream colored cloth that Aphrodite was holding up to her chest.

"Whose baby is that?" Pippin asked curiously.

"Mine, Pippin," Aphrodite sighed. "Are we done with questions?"

"One more?" Merry pleaded. "Can you do more magic like last night?"

"When we reach our destination, Merry. I dare not draw attention to us out here."

Merry groaned. "How do we know these people are friends of Gandalf?" he hissed to Frodo.

"I think servants of the enemy would look fairer and feel fouler," Frodo said. "I also don't think they would be carrying a baby with them."

"Strider's foul enough," Merry grumbled.

'Should I be offended?' Aragorn mouthed to Aphrodite. She giggled.

"We have no choice but to trust them," Frodo whispered back to Merry.

"But where are they leading us?" Sam asked quietly, leading Bill along behind him.

"To Rivendell, Master Gamgee," Aragorn called out. Aphrodite started giggling again. "To the House of Elrond!"

"D'you hear that?" Sam asked excitedly. "Rivendell! We're going to see the elves!"

"And Strider's lady friend," Aphrodite smirked. Aragorn nudged her with his shoulder as he blushed a deep red. The hobbits all started laughing.

As they continued walking, the hobbits slowed down to find a spot to sit.

"Gentlemen," Aphrodite called over her shoulder, "We do not stop until nightfall."

"What about breakfast?" Pippin asked.

"You've already had it," Aphrodite frowned, bouncing James, who had just woke up from his nap, on her hip.

"We've had one, yes," Pippin agreed. "But what about second breakfast?"

"Dear Merlin, you eat more than James," Aphrodite groaned. Aragorn frowned and kept walking. They didn't have time to spare for second breakfast.

"Don't think they know about second breakfast, Pip," Merry sighed.

Pippin's eyes widened. "What about elevenses? Luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner? Supper! They know about them, don't they?"

"I do miss afternoon tea with Hermione, Ginny, and Luna," Aphrodite sighed under her breath. "I'm sure your aunties miss us very much, Jamie." Aragorn heard her and wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder.

"I wouldn't count on it," Merry sighed as he trudged on.

Aragorn sighed and threw an apple at Merry. He threw three more at Frodo, Sam, and Pippin.

When they finally did stop, it was a little after sunset. Aphrodite took James into the trees a little way off to breast feed him. When she returned, she sat down next to Aragorn.

Somewhere, over the rainbow, way up high

There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby

Somewhere, over the rainbow, skies are blue

And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true

Someday I'll wish upon a star

And wake up where the clouds are far behind me

Where troubles melt like lemon drops

Away above the chimney tops

That's where you'll find me

Somewhere over the rainbow, bluebirds fly

Birds fly over the rainbow

Why then, oh why can't I?

If happy little bluebirds fly

Beyond the rainbow

Why, oh why, can't I?

"What's that song about?" Frodo asked softly.

"It's about finding a perfect place where there aren't any troubles in the world," Aphrodite smiled softly as she lay down on her back. James lay asleep on her stomach, having fallen asleep during the lullaby. "My mother used to sing it to me before she died when I was a baby. It's the only memory I have of her that was happy."

"I'm sorry," Frodo said.

Aphrodite smiled sadly at him. "Go to sleep, Frodo. We still have a long journey ahead of us." Aragorn looked sadly at Aphrodite, having been told her story by Gandalf.

"This was once the great watchtower of Amun Sûl," Aragorn said. "We shall rest here tonight." Aragorn handed the hobbits four short swords when they dropped their bags. "These are for you. Keep them close. I'm going to have a look round. Stay here."

Aphrodite closed her eyes as she sat down to rest. Frodo lay down next to her. Aphrodite opened her eyes a few hours later, realizing she must have fallen asleep. Pippin, Merry, and Sam were talking to each other quietly. James was wrapped in a bundle on Aphrodite's lap.

"My tomatoes burst!" Merry complained.

"Can I have some bacon?" Pippin asked.

"Okay," Merry said. "Want a tomato, Sam?"

"What are you doing?" Frodo asked.

"Tomatoes, sausage, nice crispy bacon," Merry grinned.

"Saved some for you, Mister Frodo, Miss Aphrodite," Sam said.

"Put it out you fools," Frodo snapped.

"Augumenti," Aphrodite said quickly. Water burst from the tip of her wand and put out the small campfire.

"Well, that's nice," Pippin grumbled. "Ash on my tomatoes."

The shriek of a Nazgûl pierced the air. Four of the Ringwraiths were heading towards the companions. "Go!" Aphrodite ordered. She pushed James into Pippin's arms. "If my son gets hurt, I'll kill you myself." Aphrodite pulled the Elder Wand out of the inside lining of her cloak. She pointed it at the nearest wraith and shot a bolt of fire at him. Frodo drew his own sword.

"Back you devils!" shouted Sam. He swung his sword at a Nazgûl. It blocked the short blade and sent Sam flying back into a small boulder. It threw Merry and Pippin to the side. Pippin twisted in the air so James would land on top of him. The wraith continued on to Frodo, who dropped his sword in fear.

Aphrodite gasped when she saw Frodo slip the ring on. She was shocked to see she could still see him. His figure was white and ghost-like. The Nazgûl looked ghost-like too when Aphrodite looked at them properly. She started running to where Frodo lay on the ground. She was too late. The Witch King thrust his sword into Frodo's shoulder. Aphrodite flicked her wand instinctually and the Witch King was sent flying. She barely registered Aragorn showing up to fight the rest of the Nazgûl.

"Frodo," Aphrodite whispered urgently. She knelt down by his side and ripped the ring from his finger. "Look at me." Frodo looked up at Aphrodite with wide, glassy eyes. Aphrodite quickly began working as what to do came to her mind. She tapped the Elder Wand to Frodo's wound. "Sana eo, Mors, servum meum."(Heal him, Death, my servant) A dark sludge came out of the wound. Frodo gasped in pain. Aphrodite quickly wrapped him up in the invisibility cloak. "Videte!" she commanded. (See) Over the years, Aphrodite had learned that if you said the latin word for see, the cloak wouldn't turn you invisible. To become invisible, you just had to say the latin word for disappear, Evanescunt.

"Frodo!" Sam yelled as he crawled over.

"Oh, Sam," Frodo sighed. "I'm alright. Miss Aphrodite healed me."

Aragorn threw a burning torch into the last Nazgûl's face and hurried over with the rest of the hobbits. "He was stabbed with a Morgul Blade," Aragorn gasped. "How did you heal him?"

"I didn't," Aphrodite smirked. "Death did."

"What?" Pippin asked.

"She is my Mistress, Peregrin Took," a grumpy voice spoke from behind them. "The only person I will listen to."

"Hello, Death," Aphrodite greeted.

"My lady," the cloaked figure bowed. "You are very unlike your ancestors. It goes unmentioned in the tale, but Ignotus recieved my other gifts before his death. He used them to kill all those who bothered him. His son managed to take the gifts and hide them, keeping only the cloak for himself. You are far wiser than your ancestors, Aphrodite."

"Thank you, Death," Aphrodite smiled. "Until next time?"

"Of course," Death smirked. "Your mother and father say hello, by the way."

"Tell them hello for me," Aphrodite said.

"That was creepy," Aragorn said. The hobbits all stared at him. They didn't think anything could creep him out.

"Look, Frodo," Sam grinned. "It's Mister Bilbo's trolls."

"That they are, Sam," Frodo laughed. He was riding on Bill's back, still weak from his encounter with the Nazgûl. A screech filled the air.

"They're close!" Merry shouted.

"We must be-" Aragorn broke off as a blade was pressed to his neck from behind him.

"What's this?" a female elf asked. "A Ranger caught off guard?"

"You must be Strider's lady friend," Aphrodite grinned.

"Lady Aphrodite I presume?" Arwen asked.

"At your service, Lady Arwen."

"Who are you?" Pippin asked.

"She's Aragorn's lady friend," Aphrodite laughed. Aragorn groaned, embarrassed. Arwen and Aphrodite giggled at his expense.

"I'm Arwen, daughter of Elrond," Arwen answered Pippin.

"You're an elf," Sam said excitedly.

"I've been looking for you for two days," Arwen said as she helped Aragorn put Frodo on her horse. "There are five wraiths behind you. Where the four others are, I do not know."

"Dartho guin perian," Aragorn said. "Rych le ad tolthathon." (Stay with the Hobbits. I will send horses for you.)

"Hon mabathon," Arwen argued. "Rochon ellint im." (I'm the faster rider. I'll take him.)

"Andelu i ven," Aragorn replied. (The road is too dangerous.)

"What are they saying?" Pippin asked. Aphrodite shrugged.

"Ai athradon i hir, tur gwaith nin beriatha hon." (If I can get across the river, the power of my people will protect him.) "I do not fear them."

"Be iest lîn," Aragorn murmured. (As you wish.)

Aphrodite stepped forward. "Trust her, Aragorn. We girls are a lot stronger than you men give us credit for."

Aragorn spluttered. "I wasn't saying anything like that!" he defended. Aphrodite and Arwen started giggling again. Aragorn looked up at Arwen. "Ride hard. Don't look back." Arwen nodded and purred her horse on. Aragorn watched her fade into the distance. "Let's go."

**I don't own Over the Rainbow either.**


	4. Meeting New People

**I got a really awesome review. The reviewer was encouraging me to keep writing and giving me tips to better my writing. I want the person to know that I took their advice. I hope my writing has improved. I love this chapter half of it focuses on Legolas/Aphrodite. Well, not the beginning. I was going to make Legolas mad at Aphrodite, but I couldn't make it work. So instead I made him more understanding. Tell me what you guys think. I love hearing your input.**

* * *

Ginny and Hermione giggled as they stuck the extendable ear under the door Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were behind with Ron. George grinned at them. He couldnt help but wonder where Aphi was. They assumed she was tired and had decided to stay home with James.

"I'm sorry, mum," Ron groaned. "Potter found out. She knows we've been giving her love potions for the last six years." Ginny, Hermione, and George all looked at each other with wide eyes. "She found it hidden under the sink. Potter took James and ran. I tried following her so I could obliviate her, but she disappeared in this weird light. James vanished with her. There goes our only chance at getting the Potter fortune, because she took her heir with her."

"Ronald, you idiot!" Mrs. Weasley screeched. Her voice rivaled that of a banshee's. "That was our one chance at getting real money! Arthur, do you have any idea where she could have disappeared to?"

"There's only one place," Mr. Weasley sighed. He seemed sad for someone who was trying to ruin a girl's life. Then again, this made his work harder. "She's gone to Middle Earth."

George quickly vanished the extendable ear. The three ran up the stairs. "I can't believe Mum and Dad would do this," Ginny gasped. Her brows wrinkled in worry for Aphrodite. "I mean, Ron's always been jealous of Aphi, but Mum and Dad?"

George wrapped his arm around Ginny. "I know, Gin. We need to warn Aphi. Dad said she's in a place called Middle Earth. Anyone know how to get there?"

"I think I might," Hermione said. She had become an Unspeakable after the war. "As you know, I've been working in the Department of Mysteries. What I'm about to tell you is top secret and can't be told to anyone." George and Ginny nodded, noting Hermione's seriousness. "I've been working on the Death Veil. I was trying to see if there was a way to bring Sirius back. I know how much it would mean to Aphi. The Veil is actually a one way portal to a place called Middle Earth. It brings you to a place in Middle Earth where you're needed most. You never know where you'll end up. We could go through there to get to her."

"That's bloody brilliant, Mione," George grinned. He wanted to help protect his pseudo sister. "We should bring Luna. She was telling me how she wanted to leave this place. She's getting sick of all the critics bugging her about her work."

"I couldn't think of anyone better to help us," Ginny grinned.

"So it's settled then?" George asked. "We're going to get Luna. Then, we'll go to save Aphi!"

The girls looked at each other and nodded, grinning.

A few hours later found George, Hermione, Ginny, and Luna standing in front of the veil. "Shall we?" Luna asked in her dreamy voice. "I wonder if there are nargles in Middle Earth. Maybe we'll find a Crumple-Horned Snorkack." The other three tuned Luna out as they stepped through the veil. The four felt themselves being ripped away from each other. They each landed in a different place.

* * *

"Come quickly," Aragorn encouraged the three hobbits and one witch. "We're almost there!" Aragorn's pace hurried in his excitement to reach Rivendell, his family, and his beloved.

"Slow down!" Aphrodite called jokingly. "The hobbits have short legs, and I'm carrying a baby!" Aragorn quickly slowed down so the others could catch up to him. "Excited to see your significant other, are you?" Aphrodite teased lightly, nudging Aragorn's shoulder as much as she could while holding a baby.

Aragorn blushed slightly. "If James was at Rivendell, you'd be excited too!"

"But he's not," Aphrodite grinned. "He's right here." Aragorn rolled his eyes in a slight show of playfulness.

"Estel!" a voice called from behind them. "Is that you?" The sound of thundering hoof steps came from behind them. Aphrodite gasped when she saw the man – no, elf – sitting astride the chestnut mare. Her heart immediately went out to him, calling for him. Aphrodite blushed a deep red when her eyes met the grey eyes of the tall elf.

Legolas stared at the petite black-haired girl standing next to Aragorn. He felt his heart calling out to her as his soulmate. Elves mated for life. Their hearts would called out to their mate when they first saw him or her. Legolas had been searching for his mate for a thousand years now. He gracefully jumped off of his horse so they he was on the forest floor in front of his little mate. She was much smaller than elves. It was then he noticed the child in her arms. There was no mistaking the child as someone else's. The baby looked too similar to its mother.

"Hello, Legolas," Aragorn smiled, not having seen his friend in a good ten years. "What brings you all the way to Imladris?"

Legolas sighed. "The creature Gollum. My adar sent me to inform Gandalf and Lord Elrond of his mistake." Legolas pulled his friend into a hug. "It is good to see you again, Estel. It has been far too long."

"Aye, mellon nîn," Aragorn sighed sadly. "It is a pity we should reunite under such terrible circumstances."

Legolas nodded his head in his friend's direction before swinging back onto his horse. "My lady, we still have a way to go. You may ride with me." Legolas tried to keep his eyes blank even as his heart was begging her to say yes. She may already belong to another, but he needed to be close to her. He needed her like he need air to live.

"Thank you..." Aphrodite broke off, unsure of what title Legolas carried. Aragorn had mentioned how titles were very important in Middle Earth.

"You may call me Legolas, my lady," Legolas said softly, unable to tear his eyes away from his mate's heart-shaped face.

"Then I insist that you call me Aphrodite," Aphrodite said. She moved to stand next to Legolas, James still clutched to her chest. James was staring up at Legolas with curious emerald eyes. Legolas wanted to hate the child, but he was too innocent. His eyes seemed to stare deep into Legolas' soul the way the child's mother's seemed to.

"Aphrodite," Legolas said slowly, rolling his mate's name off his tongue. He held a muscled arm out to help Aphrodite up onto the horse behind him. The elves on horseback behind him shifted their horses restlessly as they watched their prince interact with Aphrodite in a way he had never interacted with anyone else.

Aphrodite bit back the moan that rose up her throat at the feel of her mate's muscled arm. He was so much stronger than Ron ever was. Legolas was graceful and elegant in a way that made him even more masculine. The way he held himself, Aphrodite could easily tell he was of royal descent. Not to mention he was an elf. He was immortal like she was. Being the Mistress of Death made her immortal. She was glad her mate would be there to spend eternity with her.

The three elves that rode with the prince pulled the three hobbits up onto their horses. Merry, Pippin, and Sam were exhausted, not being used to walking such long distances. Aragorn went into a sprint to keep up with the horses as the broke into slow trots.

* * *

Aphrodite was sitting in the gardens of Rivendell. Dropping the blanket she had used to cover her chest while James was breast feeding, Aphrodite finished fixing her dress. It was emerald green to match her eyes and flared out at the hips. The sleeves were three-quarter sleeves. A silver string tied around her waist.

"May I join you?" a soft voice asked.

Aphrodite jumped and looked over to see who it was. Legolas was standing a few feet away. "Of course," she smiled. "You did not tell me you were a prince, Prince Legolas."

Legolas smiled and nodded. "Just Legolas is fine, Aphrodite. I do not make a habit of telling people I am a prince. I am not a fan of the attention. I prefer travelling and exploring over the life spent in a palace."

"I know the feeling," Aphrodite groaned. "It does get annoying. Where I come from, I am rather famous. I tried to only go out in disguise, so I could live in peace. Ronald, he used to be courting me, did not agree with that. He liked the attention. I could not go against his will."

Legolas raised an eyebrow. "You said he used to be your courtier. Did he die?"

"No," Aphrodite said. "He-He was-" Aphrodite broke off as tears came to her eyes. She had tried to avoid thinking of this. She hadn't wanted to think about Ronald. She tried to blink them away. "To understand, you need to understand me. Where I come from, wizards and witches are plenty. I am half witch and half veela. A veela is a creature who is literally beauty personified. They are well sought after and to be a veela's mate is considered a great honor."

"Ronald, he used a potion called amortentia on me. It is the most powerful love potion you can come across and highly illegal. The potion made me believe he was my mate. I was not myself and did things I normally would not have. I have always believed in waiting to copulate until after marriage. I was not in control of my actions while under the potion. I let Ronald touch me in ways I never would have if not under the influence. James was conceived and born nine months later."

"He raped you, you mean," Legolas growled. He jumped up from the stone bench where he had sat down next to Aphrodite. "How dare he touch you like that."

Aphrodite flinched back slightly from his shouts. "Legolas, it's alright. It's over now."

"It is not alright!" Legolas argued. His eyes widened when Aphrodite flinched back from his voice. "He hit you too!" Legolas did not phrase it like a question. He could see in Aphrodite's eyes that he spoke the truth. Legolas helped her stand up and pulled her tightly against his chest, careful so as not to hurt James, who was squished in between the two mates.

"My aunt and uncle used to beat me worse than he ever did," Aphrodite admitted softly. "Compared to them, Ronald barely smacked me."

Legolas looked down at his mate with sad eyes. "Why did you not go to someone for help?" he asked.

"I used to," Aphrodite sighed. She bounced James up and down in her arms. "They never helped me. I just stopped asking. By the time I found someone who would help me, I had already given up on asking, figuring he wouldn't help."

"Who was the man who would have helped?" Legolas asked curiously.

"Gandalf," Aphrodite said, smiling slightly at her memories of her grandfather-like figure. "Although, at the time, I didn't know him by that name. He taught me how to use magic."

"Gandalf is something else," Legolas agreed. "James Sirius was your child's name, yes?"

"Yes." Aphrodite glanced down at her son lovingly. She didn't care if Ron was his blood father. "I named him after my father, James, and my godfather, Sirius." Aphrodite choked on Sirius' name.

"Are you alright?" Legolas asked.

Aphrodite nodded sadly. "When I was fifteen, the man that killed my parent's sent me a vision. It was of him torturing Sirius. Five friends and I went to the government building where the vision had taken place. Sirius wasn't there. It was a trap. Voldemort, the wizard who was trying to kill me, had his top Death Eaters, his servants, were positioned there. We fought them off as well as we could. The Order, those were the people fighting the Death Eaters, showed up. Sirius was with them even though he was supposed to be in hiding. Siri's cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, shot a stunner at him, and he fell through the Veil of Death."

Tears were streaming steadily down her cheeks. "It was all my fault. I had tried to reach him earlier, but he didn't answer. I should've tried harder. Sirius wouldn't have died. Everyone I get close to is always killed. My parents, Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Fred, Collin, they didn't have to die. It was my fault they got killed. They got in Voldemort's way of killing me, and they were killed because of it."

Legolas pulled Aphrodite back into his arms. He held her gently so as not to crush her or her child. "It's not your fault, Aphrodite," he whispered into her hair. "You couldn't have stopped this Voldemort from killing them."

"Thank you, Legolas," Aphrodite whispered into his chest. She pulled back and wiped her eyes. "Sorry about getting your shirt all wet."

Legolas shrugged her off. Aphrodite looked back down at James who had fallen asleep. "Elves are kind of like veela."

"Hmm?" Aphrodite asked, looking up at Legolas curiously. "How so?"

"We have lifelong mates as well. I found mine recently."

Aphrodite looked down to hide the tears in her eyes. Legolas had already found his mate. She should have known. What would he want with her anyway? She had stretch marks and still hadn't lost all the weight from the pregnancy. While by human standards, she was by no means ugly, she was not as beautiful as she had once been. Ron had been quick to point out all her flaws.

Legolas gently lifted Aphrodite's chin with his fingers. "Don't cry," he whispered softly. "Beautiful people like you shouldn't cry." He carefully wiped Aphrodite's tears away. Her watery green eyes stared up into his cloudy grey ones. Legolas wavered as he was about to speak. He had just met the veela. Would it be appropriate to tell her she was his mate after only knowing her for a few hours. His heart answered for him. "You are my mate, Aphrodite."

"M-me?" Aphrodite stammered, pointing at herself.

"Yes, you, little one," Legolas chuckled. He smiled warmly down at the short veela.

"Don't call me that," Aphrodite glared. "You do not make comments on my shortness."

"I think I just did, little one," Legolas chuckled softly. "Does this mean you accept me?" he asked carefully. He was nervous about her accepting him.

"Yes, silly," Aphrodite laughed. "My heart is calling to you. My veela side is begging me to claim you as my mate."

"What does that entail?" he asked nervously.

"Just a kiss," Aphrodite said innocently. "Nothing to big."

Legolas' eyes widened. "With your son here?" Aphrodite nodded slyly. She wrapped her free arm around Legolas' neck, balancing a sleeping James on her hip. Legolas stared nervously at his mate's pouty pink lips.

"Have you never kissed someone?" Aphrodite asked, giggling slightly. Legolas made a failed yet valiant attempt at hiding his blush. Aphrodite's giggles started to overwhelm her. Legolas took a deep breath before planting his lips on Aphrodite's. Aphrodite moaned and wound the fingers of her free hand through Legolas' long blonde hair. She gasped as she pulled away. "You're a way better kisser than Ronald."

"That was...amazing," Legolas gasped. "I must take my leave," he murmured. He seemed to be in a trance. Aphrodite didn't look much better. He turned his head and walked away. Aphrodite shook her head and returned to the room she had been given. She laid James down in the bassinet..

Arwen knocked before entering the room. She smiled when she saw Aphrodite's flushed look. "Something you wish to share?" she asked slyly.

Aphrodite jumped, not having noticed Arwen enter the room. She cursed herself for letting her guard slip and risking James getting hurt. She seemed to forget she was safe in Rivendell. "I don't think so," Aphrodite smirked.

"Something to do with how the prince of Mirkwood is walking around with a dazed look on his face?" Arwen asked, her smirk widening. "His eyes were rather glazed over when I saw him and he bumped into me. Seeing as you look almost the same, I thought you might have something to do with it."

"He's my veela mate," Aphrodite admitted with a dark blush staining her cheeks. "We kissed."

Arwen squealed rather uncharacteristically. "Congratulations!"

Aphrodite giggled at the normally calm elleth's reaction. "Just don't tell Aragorn. I don't want him getting in over-protective-big-brother mode again. He threatened to stab a man at the Prancing Pony because he looked at me oddly."

Arwen laughed softly. "That sounds like something he would do. He is very protective of those he considers family."

"What about me?" Aragorn asked as he lightly tapped on the open door. "And did you just say Legolas is your mate?"

"Dammit," Aphrodite cursed.

* * *

Luna groaned as she stood up only to find an arrow in her face. "Oh, hello," she smiled. "Did you know there were wrackspurts flying around in your hair?"

"Excuse me?" the elf pointing the arrow at her frowned.

"Wrackspurts," Luna sighed dreamily. "They make your head all fuzzy. Try thinking positive thoughts!"

"You must come with us," the elf said. "You must see the Lady Galadriel. I am Haldir, captain of the guards."

* * *

George woke up on a soft bed. Someone was wiping his brow with a wet cloth. He slowly opened his eyes to see a familiar face. "Daphne?" he asked.

"Hey, George," the girl grinned. "Long time no see."

"Welcome to Middle Earth, friend," a deep voice smiled. George looked up at the tall, blond man standing behind Daphne. "I am Eomer, nephew of the king, and Daphne's betrothed."

"Your engaged?" George asked. Daphne nodded happily. "So did not see that coming. Where am I?"

"Welcome to Edoras, George. Did you purposefully come to Middle Earth?"

"What, oh, yeah, we did."

"We?" Eomer asked skeptically. "My men only found you in the field."

"Then I got separated from the others," George frowned. "I came with Ginny, Hermione, and Luna. We were trying to find Aphi. Oh god, Daph. Ron, Mum, and Dad are here. They're after Aphi. Ron's been feeding her love potion to get her money."

"I told you he was a git," Daphne snapped. "Did Aphrodite listen to me? Oh no, Ronnie's perfect! Ronnie would never hurt me!" Daphne did a false imitation of Aphrodite's voice.

"Yeah, yeah, the point is she's in trouble. Oh, and she had a son with the prat. His name is James Sirius."

"She named her son after me?" a voice asked from the corner of the room.

"Sirius?" George asked.

"How's it going, mate?" Sirius grinned weakly. His mind was focused on the fact that Ronald Weasley had been drugging his goddaughter and had essentially raped her.

* * *

Hermione didn't plan on crashing into the man. It just kind of happened. "I am so sorry," she gasped as she quickly rose to her feet. She offered the man help up, but he was already on his feet. "I'm Hermione Granger. I'm looking for my friend Aphrodite Potter. You haven't seen her, have you?"

"No, Lady Hermione. I'm afraid I haven't seen your friend. I am Faramir son of Denethor. A pleasure to meet you."

"You too," Hermione smiled. "Sorry about knocking you over. I'm not exactly from here."

Faramir lead Hermione over to a fire. "Why don't you start from the beginning."

* * *

Ginny groaned, rubbing her hands. It was just her luck. She would end up in the middle of the woods.


	5. Council

**I would like to make some things clear about my characters for you guy****s. This is fanfiction. Therefore, I am allowed to do what I want. Aragorn seems like a family man, so I had him take the roll of Aphrodite's older brother. Arwen is the youngest elf in Arda. Yes, she's still old, but she can have bouts of immaturity. In the movie, which is the verse I'm in since I never had the chance to finish reading the series(I read the first two books, but haven't gotten to the third yet), Arwen teases Aragorn at the beginning, showing slight levels of immaturity, no matter how small. I chose to play on that. As for Aphrodite, she is not a copy of Harry. She has suffered more abuse than Harry did and just found out her best friend was using her and raped her. Also, she's only twenty-two. She isn't completely mature yet. The same goes for Ginny, Luna, Hermione, Daphne-when you meet her-, and George. They aren't completely mature yet!**

**Thank you for all your reviews. I love reading them. Please continue to review.**

Aphrodite and Legolas were among the first to arrive for the council. Elrond and Gandalf were already there.

"Hey, Grandpa," Aphrodite smiled happily. She and Gandalf had reunited the night before while Legolas and Aragorn were talking.

"Hello, dear," Gandalf replied, frown lines appeared when he saw the bags under her eyes. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm well enough," Aphrodite sighed tiredly. She let out a little yawn. "James was a little fussy last night is all."

"Are you sure you're feeling alright?" Legolas asked worriedly, looking Aphrodite directly in the eye. "Do you want to go rest? I can tell you what went on in the meeting."

Aphrodite laughed lightly. "I am fine, Legolas. Just a little tired." Legolas sighed and pulled Aphrodite into his arms.

"I am glad to see you have found your mate, Prince Legolas," Elrond said. He smiled at the elf and the veela. "Perhaps now you will settle down and not worry your poor father?"

Legolas looked down at Aphrodite with sad eyes. "If my mate wishes it of me, I will stay in the palace with her." The thought of no longer being able to explore clouded his mind with worry. He loved being able to go out and explore Arda.

"He can go on as many adventures as he wants," Aphrodite said. "On the condition I get to come with him."

Legolas stared at Aphrodite with wide eyes. "You're perfect," he said. "Beautiful, smart, funny, loving, and you go on adventures. What more could I want?" Aphrodite laughed and kissed his cheek.

"The council is starting," Elrond said. "The others are arriving. We should take our seats." Legolas smiled at Aphrodite and led her over to their seats as the others sat down.

"Let the council begin," Elrond said once everyone had been seated. Almost every eye was on Aphrodite.

"You would let a woman join the council, Gandalf?" Boromir demanded when he saw Aphrodite sitting down in between Aragorn and Legolas. Legolas grabbed his mate's hand soothingly.

"Excuse me?" Aphrodite snapped. "So what if I'm a woman? What does that have to do with my capability?"

"Women are weak," Gimli responded simply.

"Well," she smirked, "would a weak women be able to stand her own against a powerful wizard at age eleven? Or perhaps would she be able to kill an eighty foot snake at age twelve with naught but a blade and the aid of a bird? Or could she defend herself against twenty fully trained men in battle? Maybe she can hold her own against six of the best trained wizards at age fifteen with the help of five friends. Can she, I don't know, fight off the living dead? I know, she can kill the most powerful dark wizard known to her world after just returning from the dead. Tell me, boys, what of that have you accomplished?"

The man and the dwarf leant back in their seat in acceptance. Legolas glared at Gimli and Boromir for daring to insult his mate.

"Bring forth the ring, Frodo," Elrond said, eyeing Aphrodite curiously. He was not sure what to make of the young woman. He couldn't help but be curious of her past. Gandalf had said she had a hard life, but not what she had been through. Had she been through all of that?

Frodo stepped forward and placed a ring on the altar in the center of the circle. He quickly returned to his seat.

"So it is true," the ginger man from before gasped.

"Sauron's ring! The ring of power," Legolas whispered.

"The ring to control all races," Aphrodite gasped. "You said it was a legend, Gandalf," she murmured.

"In your world it was," Gandalf replied.

"I can feel its dark magic," Aphrodite shuddered.

"The doom of man," the dwarf from earlier groaned.

"It is a gift...a gift to the foes of Mordor! Why not use this Ring? Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, held the forces of Mordor at bay...by the blood of our people are your lands kept safe. Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy...let us use it against him!" Boromir urged.

"You cannot wield it. None of us can! The one ring answers to Sauron alone...It has no other master!" Aragorn scowled.

Boromir glared at Aragorn. "And what would a ranger know about this matter?"

"That is no mere ranger," Legolas growled, jumping to his feet. "That is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance."

"Havo dad, Legolas," Aragorn hissed. Legolas nodded at him and resumed his seat. Aphrodite squeezed Legolas' hand.

"Gondor needs no king," Boromir grumbled.

"You have only one choice," Elrond announced. "The ring must be destroyed."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Gimli said. He ran forward with his axe in hand. He struck the ring, and the blade shattered.

Aphrodite quickly erected a shield to block the metal from harming her. "The ring can't be destroyed by a weapon, master dwarf," Aphrodite said, using the manners she had always used with the goblins. "It was created in the fires of Mount Doom, and there it must be destroyed. Dark magic must be destroyed by fire."

Gandalf smiled at the young woman. "You have a knack for remembering the details, Aphrodite."

"One does not simply walk into Mordor. Its black gates are guarded by more than just Orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep and the Great Eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire and ash and dust...the very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly," Boromir finished.

"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond and Lady Aphrodite have said?" Legolas snapped. "The ring must be destroyed."

"And I suppose you think you're the one to do it," Gimli growled. He was glaring at the elves.

"And if we fail?" Boromir questioned. "What then?"

"I'll be dead before I see the ring in the hands of an elf!" Gimli shouted, jumping to his feet. A storm of arguments broke out. Aphrodite sighed and leaned back in her seat. She looked over at Frodo. He was staring at the ring.

Frodo rose. Aphrodite could see his lips moving, but could not hear what he was saying. She stood up. "Quiet!" she shouted. "I believe Mr. Frodo is trying to speak."

Frodo nodded his thanks. "I will take the ring to Mordor, though I do not know the way."

"I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear," Gandalf announced, moving to stand behind Frodo.

Aragorn stood next. "If by my life or death I can protect you, I will. You have my sword."

"And my bow," Legolas announced.

"And my axe," Gimli said gruffly.

"You carry the fate of us all, little one," Boromir said gravely. "If this is indeed the will of the council, Gondor will see it done." He moved to stand next to Aragorn.

Aphrodite stepped forward. "For sixteen years, I carried a burden meant for older, wiser people on my shoulders, Frodo," she said. Her eyes met Gandalf's. "I have fought for my home, my family, and my life. I have watched as my world fell into darkness, despair, and death. I will not let that happen to this world that my son and I have been brought too. Someone very wise once told me not to believe in coincidences. I shall aid you to the best of my abilities with my magic."

"A girl is coming on this dangerous quest," Boromir asked in shock.

Aphrodite turned to glare at him. "I lived in a tent for nine freaking months. I killed when I was eleven years old. I have been hunted down by a bloody murderer since before I could sit up without aid. Do not test me."

Gandalf held his hand up before anyone could say another word. "She is a witch," he warned. "And I have taught her some very nasty curses." Aphrodite smirked maliciously.

"Frodo's not going anywhere without me!" a voice called from the bushes. Another small man popped out of hiding.

"No, Indeed...it is hardly possible to separate you...even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not."

Aphrodite giggled at the little man's expense.

"Oi! We're coming too! You'll have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us." another little man shouted. He jumped out of another bush followed by one almost identical to him.

"Anyway...you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission...quest...thing..."

"Well, that rules you out, Pip," the other grinned.

Aphrodite barely managed to stifle her giggles. Gandalf winked his blue eye at her.

"Ten companions..." Elrond mused. "So be it. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring."

"Great," Pippin grinned. "Where're we going?"

**"He's kidding, right?" Aphrodite asked Gandalf. He nodded smiling lightly. **


	6. Adventure's Beginning

**In all honesty, I thought I posted this a couple hours ago. Apparently, I did not. Whoops. Anyways, here's a new chapter. Thanks for all the reviews everyone.**

Aphrodite kissed her baby's forehead before handing him over to Arwen. She had agreed to watch over him while Aphrodite was away. She had also agreed to take him in if something bad were to happen to Aphrodite.

"Mama," James cried. He reached out towards his mother.

Aphrodite gasped and quickly took her baby back. "That's his first word," she whispered. "Yes, Jamsie, it's Mommy. Who's my big boy?"

James giggled. He caught someone's eyes over his mother's shoulder as she cradled him. "Dada," he giggled, pointing at Legolas. Everyone's eyes widened. Merry and Pippin started laughing.

"I'm sorry, Legolas," Aphrodite said. "I don't know why he said that. You look nothing like Ronald." Aphrodite's eyes clenched shut in pain as she mentioned her ex boyfriend.

"I-It's fine," Legolas stammered, staring at James. He stepped up behind his mate and wrapped an arm around her waist from behind. Gently, he brushed his hair through James' black locks. "I don't mind him calling me his father."

"Mommy loves you, Jamsie," Aphrodite told her son before handing him back to Arwen. She smiled sadly at James as he called out for her again. She turned and walked towards the rest of the Fellowship as they began their journey. Aphrodite grabbed Legolas' hand. She could hear her son crying for her from Arwen's arms.

The Fellowship was taking a break near the pass of Caradhras. They had been journeying for a little over two weeks now. Aphrodite missed her baby greatly. She was also thinking about her friends from England. She missed Ginny, George, Hermione, Luna, and her friend Daphne.

* * *

Aphrodite and Daphne had an odd friendship. No one would have seen the Gryffindor Golden Girl and the Slytherin Ice Queen becoming friends, but they had quickly bonded during their auror training. Daphne had disappeared in an attack on the ministry by some Death Eaters. She hadn't been heard from since. That had been before Aphrodite was pregnant with James. Ronald had made her quit after he found out she was pregnant. Aphrodite had never wanted to be a stay at home mom, but Ron insisted.

"Are you well, Aphrodite?" Legolas asked.

"Just thinking about my home," she sighed. "I miss my friends."

"It must be hard," Legolas agreed.

Out of no where, someone shouted, "Aphrodite! I've been looking everywhere for you!" Aphrodite flipped around.

"Ginny!" she squealed. She ran forward and embraced the girl. "I've missed you! How are George, Hermione, and Luna doing?"

"You mean you haven't seen them?" Ginny asked worriedly. "I mean Hermione did say we might get separated, but I assumed they'd already found you."

"They're here too?" Aphrodite asked.

Ginny nodded. "We came to warn you. You know Ron's been giving you amortentia, right?" Aphrodite nodded. "Okay, well Mum and Dad were in on his plan too. They're coming to find you and James. You can't let them get either of you. They just want your money and status. As for where George, Luna, and Hermione are, I have no idea. Hermione said there might be a chance of us getting separated. She said we would show up where we were needed most."

"But how did you guys get here?" Aphrodite demanded. She didn't understand how she had gotten there! How had her friends gotten their.

"Through the veil. It's a one way portal, which means that Sirius is here too."

"Sirius is alive," Aphrodite gasped. She started laughing and wrapped her arms around Ginny. She hugged her pseudo sister with all her strength.

"Ah, young Ginevra," Gandalf smiled. "How lovely to see you again."

"Professor Dumbledore?" she gasped. "How the bloody hell are you alive?"

Aragorn, Boromir, Legolas, Gimli, and the hobbits all looked at her with wide eyes. They had never heard a woman use vulgar language before. Gandalf just smiled and explained what was going on.

"You are so not leaving me behind this time, Aphi," Ginny scowled, glaring at her best friend.

"Course not, Gin," Aphrodite smiled. She sat down on a log with Ginny on her right side. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again."

Merry, Pippin, Sam, and Frodo wandered over to the two girls in the Fellowship.

"Pippin. This is my sister, Ginny, boys. Gin, this is Merry, Pippin, Sam, and Frodo. Over there is Aragorn, Gimli, Boromir, and Legolas. Legolas is my mate."

Ginny squealed. "Congrats, Aphi. Good luck with her, elf boy! She gets in loads of trouble!"

"Why don't I doubt that?" Legolas smirked. Aphrodite stuck her tongue out at him.

"Can you tell us a story, Aphrodite?" Pippin asked excitedly. He was bouncing up and down from his spot on the ground.

Aphrodite thought for a moment before smiling at the hobbits. "It was Hallow's Eve. The night the spirit world and mortal world join together. A snake faced man walked down the path towards a small cottage. Inside, the sound of a baby's laughter filled the room. Her father was creating magic to amuse her. He froze when he heard the front gate being blown off its hinges by the snake man. 'Lily!' he shouted. 'Take the baby and run.'"

Aphrodite closed her eyes. "Lily, the man's wife, took their daughter from his arms. She ran up the stairs of their cottage. Once inside the nursery, she attempted to barricade herself in. 'Avada Kedavra,' she heard from downstairs. A loud thump soon followed. She began to sob as she realized her husband had just been murdered. 'Reducto!' was shouted from outside the door. Lily put her baby in the cradle and stood protectively in front of her."

"'Not my baby,' she begged. 'Kill me instead.' Voldemort just smirked at her. He whispered the two words that would end the woman's life. He stepped up to the baby who was staring at him, unafraid. 'Avada Kedavra,' he said calmly. His wand was pointed at the baby's forehead." The hobbits were clutching one another in horror. "The deadly jet of light reflected off the baby's forehead and hit the snake man. It severed his soul from his body. For thirteen years, the soul wandered around, trying desperately to regain a body. The curse left a scar on the baby's forehead that didn't begin to fade until the man was completely dead, for you see, part of Voldemort's soul attached itself to that baby. It wasn't until sixteen years later, when the baby girl, now grown up, sacrificed her life that the soul disappeared."

"You speak of this as though you witnessed it first hand," Boromir observed. It took Aphrodite only a moment to realize that the rest of the Fellowship had listened in.

Aphrodite looked Boromir in the eyes as she pulled her side bangs away from her forehead to reveal her scar.

"You were the baby," Frodo whispered in horror. Aphrodite nodded sadly. Ginny squeezed her friend's hand. Aphrodite smiled at her.

Legolas sat next to Aphrodite and kissed her scar. "I swear to you I will do everything I can to protect you and James. I love you both so much, Aphrodite." Aphrodite smiled up at him with tears in her eyes. She wrapped her arms around him in a hug.

"Wanna hear a happy story?" Ginny asked. The hobbits nodded eagerly. The rest of the Fellowship joined the hobbits in front of the two girls. "This is a bedtime story from where I grew up when I was little. It's called 'The Wizard and the Hopping Pot.'"

"I haven't heard this one yet," Aphrodite grinned. "Is it from The Tales of Beedle the Bard?"

Ginny nodded eagerly. "There was once a kindly old wizard who used his magic generously and wisely for the benefit of his neighbors. Rather than reveal the true source of his power, he pretended that his potions, charms and antidotes sprang ready-made from the little cauldron he called his lucky cooking pot. From miles around people came to him with their troubles, and the wizard was pleased to give his pot a stir and put things right.

This well-beloved wizard lived to a goodly age, then died, leaving all his chattels to his only son. This son was of a very different disposition to his gentle father. Those who could not work magic were, to the son's mind, worthless, and he had often quarreled with his father's habit of dispensing magical aid to their neighbors.

Upon the father's death, the son found hidden inside the old cooking pot a small package bearing his name. He opened it, hoping for gold, but found instead a soft, thick slipper, much too small to wear, and with no pair. A fragment of parchment within the slipper bore the words "In the fond hope, my son, that you will never need it."

The son cursed his father's age-softened mind, then threw the slipper back into the cauldron resolving to use it henceforth as a rubbish pail. That very night a peasant woman knocked on the front door.

"My granddaughter is afflicted by a crop of warts, sir," she told him. "Your father used to mix a special poultice in that old cooking pot -"

"Be gone!" cried the son. "What care I for you brat's warts?"

And he slammed the door in the old woman's face.

At once there came a loud clanging and banging from his kitchen. The wizard lit his wand and opened the door, and there, to his amazement, he saw his father's old cooking pot: it had sprouted a single foot of brass, and was hopping on the spot, in the middle of the floor, making a fearful noise upon the flagstones. The wizard approached it in wonder, but fell back hurriedly when he saw that the whole of the pot's surface was covered in warts.

"Disgusting object!" he cried, and he tried firstly to Vanish the pot, then to clean it by magic, and finally to force it out of the house. None of his spells worked, however, and he was unable to prevent the pot hopping after him out of the kitchen, and then following him up to bed, clanging and banging loudly on every wooden stair.

The wizard could not sleep all night for the banging of the warty old pot by his bedside, and next morning the pot insisted upon hopping after him to the breakfast table. Clang, clang, clang, went the brass-footed pot, and the wizard had not even started his porridge when there came another knock on the door. An old man stood on the doorstep.

" 'Tis my old donkey, sir," he explained. "Lost she is, or stolen and without her I cannot take my wares to market, and my family will go hungry tonight."

"And I am hungry now!" roared the wizard, and slammed the door upon the old man.

Clang, clang, clang, went the cooking pot's single brass foot upon the floor, but now its clamor was mixed with the brays of a donkey and human groans of hunger, echoing from the depths of the pot.

"Be still. Be silent!" shrieked the wizard, but not all his magical powers could quieten the warty pot, which hopped at his heels all day, braying and groaning and clanging, no matter where he went or what he did.

That evening there came a third knock upon the door, and there on the threshold showed a young woman sobbing as though her heart would break.

"My baby is grievously ill," she said. "Won't you help us? Your father bade me come if troubled-"

But the wizard slammed the door on her. And now the tormenting pot filled to the brim with salt water, and slopped tears all over the floor as it hopped, and brayed, and groaned, and sprouted more warts. Though no more villagers came to seek help at the wizard's cottage for the rest of the week, the pot kept him informed of their many ills. Within a few days, it was not only braying and groaning and slopping and hopping and sprouting warts, it was also choking and retching, crying like a baby, whining like a dog, and spewing out bad cheese and sour milk and a plague of hungry slugs.

The wizard could not sleep or eat with the pot beside him, but the pot refused to leave and he could not silence it or force it to be still.

At last the wizard could bear it no more. "Bring me all your problems, all your troubles and your woes!" he screamed, fleeing into the night, with the pot hopping behind him along the road into the village. "Come! Let me cure you, mend you and comfort you! I have my father's cooking pot, and I shall make you well!"

And with the foul pot still bounding along behind him, he ran up the street, casting spells in every direction.

Inside one house the little girl's warts vanished as she slept; the lost donkey was Summoned from a distant briar patch and set down softly in its stable; the sick baby was doused in dittany and woke, well and rosy. At every house of sickness and sorrow, the wizard did his best, and gradually the cooking pot beside him stopped groaning and retching, and became quiet, shiny and clean.

"Well, Pot?" asked the trembling wizard, as the sun began to rise.

The pot burped out the single slipper he had thrown to it, and permitted him to fit it on to the brass foot. Together, they set off back to the wizard's house, the pot's footstep muffled at last. But from that day forward, the wizard helped the villagers like his father before him, lest the pot cast off its slipper, and begin to hop once more."

"Are there a lot of wizards and witches where you come from, Lady Ginevra?" Gimli asked politely. He was curious about wizards after the tales his father had told him about Gandalf and Radagast.

Ginny nodded. "Yeah, there're tons of us. Why? Don't you have a bunch in Middle Earth too?"

"There are only five istari," Gandalf sighed. "Sadly, one has turned traitor."

"That sucks," Ginny frowned. She wondered who had turned traitor.

"What is that?" Sam asked, pointing towards the sky. A black smudge was blotting out the sun.

"Nothing," Gimli assured him. "Just a whiff of cloud."

"It's moving fast," Boromir said, jumping up.

"And against the wind," Ginny gasped.

"Crebain from Dunland!" Legolas shouted. He grabbed Aphrodite's hand and pulled her up.

"Hide!" yelled Aragorn.

Boromir grabbed Ginny around the waist and pulled her behind a boulder. Legolas took Aphrodite and pulled her under some bushes. Both girls blushed when they realized they were up against their companions' firm chests.

"Spies of Saruman," Gandalf frowned. "The passage south is being watched. We must take the pass of Caradhras!"

* * *

Ginny grabbed Boromir's hand and pulled him out of the bank of snow he had gotten his leg stuck in. "Thank you, Ginny," he smiled. He brushed the snow off his pants.

"No prob," she grinned. "So, you've heard my story. What's yours?"

"I come from Gondor," Boromir started. "That's the country that borders Morder. My father is the Steward. I journeyed to Rivendell on my father's orders. I wanted to stay and help defend Osgiliath, the city I helped retake, but my father put my younger brother in charge and sent me here. I worry for Faramir though. He is a scholar, not a fighter."

Ginny put her hand on Boromir's shoulder. "Don't worry. Aphi's and my friend Hermione is a bookworm too. When the war started, we all wanted to protect her, but she could really hold her own. I'm sure your brother will be fine." Boromir smiled at Ginny.

Ginny and Boromir turned when they heard Frodo fall into the snow. Aphrodite moved forward from her spot next to Legolas. Boromir picked up the ring from where it had fallen on the ground. "Boromir?" Aragorn asked wearily.

"It is a strange fate that we should suffer such fear and doubt over such a small thing...such a small thing."

"Are you okay, Boromir?" Ginny asked, laying a hand on the man's arm. Boromir nodded and handed the ring back to Frodo. He shook his head to get rid of the daze.

"I am fine," he muttered.

"There is a fell voice in the air," Legolas shouted as the wind started picking up.

"It is Saruman," Gandalf gasped. Legolas wrapped his arms around Aphrodite and pulled her to the rock wall of the pass. Rocks started to fall. Aragorn grabbed Frodo and brought him closer to himself.

"He's trying to bring down the mountain!" shouted Aragorn. "Gandalf! We must turn back!" He pulled Frodo back against him.

"No!" Gandalf yelled back. He raised his staff. "Losto Caradhras, sedho, hodo, nuitho I ruith."

Saruman's magic was more powerful than Gandalf's. Snow tumbled off the mountain side onto the Fellowship. Aphrodite used a nonverbal banishing charm to get rid of the snow on top of her. She crawled over to Legolas and helped pull him from the snow. Ginny blasted the snow away from the hobbits, herself, Boromir, and Aragorn. "Where's Gimli?" she called out.

"I'm right here, lass," Gimli grunted. Aphrodite and Ginny started giggling when they saw him. His beard had clumps of snow knotted in it. Legolas was smirking at Gimli.

"We must get off the mountain! Make for the gap of Rohan and take the West road to my city!"

"The gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard," Aragorn argued.

"What's wrong with Isengard?" Ginny asked curiously.

"That's where Saruman lives," Aphrodite told her friend. "He's the traitor wizard."

"We can not pass over the mountain," Gimli grunted. "Let us pass under it. Let us go through the mines of Moria."

Aphrodite noticed Gandalf's concerned look. "Let Frodo decide," she said.

"Frodo?" Ginny asked. She was holding a shivering Sam in her arms. Merry and Pippin were clinging to Boromir. Aphrodite waved her hand to dry the other's clothes. Ginny grinned in thanks at her friend.

"We will go through the mines," Frodo declared. Worry flitted across his eyes, unsure if he had made the correct choice.

"Very well," Gandalf nodded solemnly.

* * *

The fellowship stood in front of a vast expanse of rock. "The Walls of Moria," Gimli exclaimed.

Gandalf ran his fingers of the wall. An intricate door appeared in the stone. "Itiden...it mirrors only starlight and moonlight."

"This isn't another door that requires some sick version of payment, is it?" Aphrodite groaned. She clearly remembered the night Gandalf 'died'.

Gandalf smiled at her. "No, my dear child. This door requires a simple password." He looked up at the script written above the door. "It reads 'The Door of Durin, lord of Moria. Speak friend and enter.'"

"What does that mean?" asked Merry.

"It is quite simple," Gandalf said. "If you are a friend, speak the password and enter."

Aphrodite frowned as Gandalf began trying different spells. "Wow, Hermione was right," she smirked. "Wizards can be powerful, but they don't use logic at all. What's the elvish word for friend?"

"Mellon," Legolas replied. The doors swung open and the Fellowship stepped inside.

"This is no mine," Boromir said, staring at the disintegrating skeletons of dead dwarves.

"It's a tomb," Ginny finished. She stepped away from the rotted skull of one dead dwarf. Boromir caught her before she could trip over the axe of a different dwarf.

"Oh...no...no...no," Gimli muttered, rushing towards a skeleton.

Legolas pulled an arrow out of one of the skeletons. "Goblins," he gasped, looking towards Gandalf.

The Fellowship quickly made their way out of the cave. "We must make for the Gap of Rohan," Boromir insisted.

Frodo yelled out in shock as a slimy tentacle crept out of the lake to grab his leg. He was pulled into the air. Boromir ran into the water along with Aragorn.

"Sectumsempra!" Ginny shouted. The tentacle holding Frodo was severed from the body and fell to the ground. Boromir caught Frodo and ran with Aragorn into the cave. The tentacle hit the outside of the cliff and the rock broke and created a barrier between the Fellowship and the outside world.

"So into the dark, creepy, cave it is," Aphrodite grinned sarcastically. She was the only one to notice Legolas' flinch. She let everyone else walk ahead of her and joined Legolas a few feet behind the others.

"You okay?" she asked softly, grabbing her mate's hand.

"I'm fine," Legolas murmured. His eyes kept darting nervously at the rock walls.

"You don't look it," she pointed out.

"About sixty years ago, I was following a pack of orcs with my friend Tariel. We made it to a town in front of Erebor. The dwarves the orcs were tracking were heading in that direction. Frodo's uncle, Bilbo Baggins, was with them. Tariel stopped in the house to help heal one of the youngest dwarves, Kili. I was outside, keeping guard. I had almost destroyed all the orcs when one got the better of me. I was held hostage in a cave hundreds of miles from my home. Two months I was there. They tortured me down there, the orcs, I mean. I always felt as if there was another being there. One that I couldn't see. The being would haunt me in my dreams. He would show me images of brutal battles in the past. Only instead of people from the elder days, it was my father who was being killed, or Tariel. Elves don't like the underground, Aphrodite. I despise the underground."

Aphrodite smiled sadly and placed her hand on Legolas' arm. "I'm terrified of spiders. I've never told anyone about my fear because I was expected to be this unbeatable person who was only afraid of fear itself. When I was twelve, my friend, Hagrid, he's half-giant, was taken into custody by the Ministry of Magic. They're our government. They forced Gandalf to resign from his post as Headmaster of Hogwarts. Hogwarts is our school. Hagrid told R-Ronald and I to follow the spiders. We did what he suggested and followed the spiders into the Forbidden Forest. There we met spiders the size of horses. They tried to eat us. Ever since, I've been deathly afraid of spiders."

"I can't say I blame you," Legolas chuckled. The two continued chatting as they made their way through the dark caves.

Ginny sped up so she was walking next to Gandalf. She glanced back at Legolas and Aphrodite. "They're good together, aren't they?" she whispered in Gandalf's ear. The old istari nodded, smiling.

"I have no memory of this place," Gandalf frowned as they reached a fork in the path.

"You're going senile, old man," Ginny groaned. She moved to stand next to Boromir who was leaning against the wall.

"Legolas and Aphrodite are getting close," he said simply.

"Can you keep a secret?" Ginny grinned. Boromir raised an eyebrow in the girl's direction. "Aphi is a half-veela. They're beautiful creatures in our world that reflect their homeland's idea of beauty. Lily Potter, Aphi's mom, was adopted by the Evans. In actuality, she was a descendent of Rowena Ravenclaw, a full-blooded veela. Since Ravenclaw was so powerful, the veela gene is strengthened every generation. All of Ravenclaw's descendents are full-veela. Legolas is Aphi's veela mate."

Boromir nodded his head. "Are you a veela too?"

Ginny stared at him. "No," she murmured. "Why would you think that?"

"You are very beautiful."

"Th-thanks." Ginny was blushing Weasley red. Her cheeks nearly matched her blood-red hair. "You're not so bad looking yourself Boromir."

Boromir was blushing too. "Oh just kiss already," came Aphrodite's snarky voice from behind the embarrassed duo. She was laughing at the embarrassed couple.

"Ah! It's that way!" Gandalf announced. Aragorn was suspicious that he chose that point to say it to save Boromir and Ginny from further embarrassment.

"He's remembered," Merry cheered, relieved.

"No," Gandalf smirked. "This way just smells less like death. When in doubt, follow your nose, Meriadoc."

"You never told me that," Aphrodite huffed.

"What would you have used it for?" Ginny asked rhetorically.

"Sniffing out inferi, duh. They smell like death."

Ginny facepalmed. "It was rhetorical."

"I know," Aphrodite smirked. Ginny rolled her eyes at her friend.

* * *

"Behold the great City of Dwarrowdelf," Gandalf announced as the Fellowship passed into an impressive hall.

Suddenly, Gimli rushed forwards. The rest of the Fellowship rushed after him. Ginny stopped behind Gimli in front of a tomb.

"Here lies Balin, son of Fudin," Gimli whispered hoarsely through his sobs. "Lord of Moria. He is dead then. It's as I feared. He was my kin."

Ginny rested her hand on the despairing dwarf's shoulder. "When I was sixteen, I helped fight in the Final Battle of The Second Blood War along with the rest of my family and friends. My older brother, Fred was killed. I didn't know until after the first half of the battle was over when I saw his body lined up with the others. His twin, George, was standing over him, holding his hand, and pleading for him to come back to us." Ginny had a single tear making its way down her freckled cheek. "I had always known I might lose family members, but it never registered it would be one of the twins. They always seemed so invincible. Even after George lost his right ear I never thought they would die."

Gimli's sobs slowly died away. Ginny turned around to be faced by a solemn Boromir. Boromir gently wiped away Ginny's tears. "I am sorry for your loss," he said softly, still cupping her cheek with his large, calloused hand.

"It's okay," Ginny smiled sadly. "I've accepted his death. I've moved on. I was the one who killed the man who killed Fred. That helped a lot."

Boromir chuckled softly. Ginny's eyes fluttered shut as Boromir started leaning in.

The Fellowship stood watching the couple. They were about to exchange money when an arrow shot by the back of Ginny's head. "Bloody hell," she cursed, jumping away from Boromir. Boromir and Legolas rushed to the door to barricade it. Ginny and Aphrodite both pulled out their wands.

"Orcs," Legolas spat.

"They have a cave troll," Boromir groaned sarcastically, peeking through one of the gaps in the door.

"I'll handle that one," Aphrodite smirked sadistically. Everyone took a step away from her. Gimli jumped up onto Balin's tomb.

"Let them come!" Gimli shouted. "There is still one dwarf in Moria who still draws breath."

The barricade Legolas and Boromir had erected shattered with the force the orcs came at it with. Legolas stood close to Aphrodite, covering her while she sent jinxes at the troll.

"I think I'm getting the hang of this," Sam grinned as he slammed another orc with a frying pan.

"I need to get me one of those," Ginny murmured. She flashed a grin at Sam.

The troll lunged after Frodo. Frodo ducked around the pillar.

"No!" Aphrodite shouted as the troll stabbed Frodo with a fallen orcs spear. "Wingardium Leviosa!" The troll's club was lifted into the air. Aragorn was stabbing the last orc as Aphrodite dropped the club on the confused trolls head. "Sectumsempra," Aphrodite murmured, pointing her wand at the unconscious troll's heart. She refused to use an unforgivable.

Everyone rushed over to Frodo. Aragorn lifted the young hobbit in his arms. Everyone sighed in relief when Frodo coughed.

"What secrets do you hold Master Baggins?" Ginny asked.

Frodo simply pulled down his shirt. A mithril chainmail shirt glittered on his chest.

"That is a kingly gift," Gimli laughed.

"I never told Bilbo," Gandalf smirked, "but that shirt is worth twice the Shire. Now, to the bridge of Khazad-Dum."

Aragorn helped Frodo stand up. Together, they ran after the rest of the Fellowship. Ginny and Legolas just managed to grab onto Boromir's arms before he went tumbling over the side of the broken stairs. Boromir quickly lifted Merry and Pippin and jumped over the gap. Legolas threw Sam over to Boromir before grabbing Aphrodite and Ginny around the waist. The girls clung to Legolas as he easily made the jump. Aragorn was about to toss Gimli over when the dwarf stopped him.

"Nobody tosses a dwarf." Gimli jumped. Legolas had to catch him by his long, ginger beard.

Gandalf jumped over after the dwarf. Aragorn was about to take Frodo over when the piece of stair they were standing on broke off. Aragorn instructed Frodo to lean forward. The stairs tilted to the other set. Aragorn lifted up Frodo and jumped. Gandalf ushered them all passed him. They had just made it to the bridge when an unearthly roar came from behind them.

"Keep running!" Gandalf yelled. He flipped around and stopped in the middle of the bridge. "This foe is beyond you all."

The rest of the Fellowship made their way to the other side of the room. A fiery demon entered through the other side of the cavern.

"You shall not pass!" Gandalf shouted. He raised his sword and staff. Slamming the staff to the ground, he yelled again. "You shall not pass!" Gandalf turned around, looking smug as the balrog fell into the chasm below. His eyes widened as the balrog dragged him backwards into the pit. He held on long enough to say, "Fly you fools."

Legolas grabbed Aphrodite and Aragorn's arms, pulling them outside. They were followed closely by Gimli, Sam, Merry, and Pippin. Ginny, Boromir, and Frodo made up the rear.

Aphrodite collapsed outside of Moria. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. Boromir was comforting a quietly sobbing Ginny. Sam, Merry, and Pippin were huddled together. Aragorn stood staring into the distance. Legolas sighed and knelt down next to Aphrodite. He started rubbing her back. Aphrodite threw her arms around Legolas and buried her face in his chest. "Legolas," she said between sniffles. "I j-just can't believe he's g-gone again."

"Sh," Legolas soothed his distressed mate. "Everything is going to be alright." He was struggling to fight his own tears.

"Get them up, Legolas, Boromir," Aragorn called from his spot. He gently helped Gimli from the ground.

"Give them a moment for pity's sake," Boromir sighed.

"He's right," Ginny sighed. "In a few hours at most this place will be swarming with orcs."

"Where's Mr. Frodo?" Sam asked as he stood up with the help of Boromir. Ginny was helping Merry and Pippin from their spots on the ground.

"Frodo!" Aragorn shouted as he saw the little hobbit wandering off. Frodo turned around. He slowly wandered towards Aragorn.

"It's going to be alright," Legolas whispered soothingly into Aphrodite's hair.

Aphrodite sniffled as she pulled back from Legolas. "S-Sorry about your sh-shirt."

"I don't mind," Legolas sighed sadly. He helped Aphrodite stand up.


	7. Lothlórien

**I would like to apologize for my absence, I may or may not have been watching all the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings movies without pause, followed up by Narnia.**

**I would now like to address my version of veela. THIS IS IMPORTANT. In this story, every veela has a mate. Legolas is Aphrodite's mate. Now, there is a slight catch. If the veela has a child with someone else, that person can claim the veela for his/her own. To prevent this, the veela must complete the bond with his/her mate. To complete the bond, the veela must have sex with his/her mate. Aphrodite and Legolas will not be having sex yet, as they have only been together several months now. Once the bond is complete, the mates are technically married even if there is no ceremony. No one can claim the veela except his/her mate after that.**

**Now that that is cleared up, I would like to address some other important matters. I have once again been questioned on some of Aphrodite's questions. I am not upset by this as the reviewer was very nice in his/her wording, but I would like to talk about it to prevent anymore confusion. Aphrodite is not Harry. She will never be Harry. Think of her as more of an OC that took Harry's place in the series. Her reactions are what I thought fit with her. She's in her early twenties. She's allowed to giggle. For when she first arrives in Arda, her actions are justified. She had just found out three of the people she trusted most betrayed her. She was distressed. Then something she's never seen or heard of attacks her and threatens her life and her son's life. She was already so distressed she couldn't focus properly. When not focused, that would be the proper reaction.**

**Also, I have been asked why Aphrodite trusted the elves. She had already spent about a month and a half with Aragorn in Bree. He would have told her all about the elves in that time. And honestly, how do you not trust the elves?**

**I am sorry if I offended anyone with the way I worded that. I truly meant no offense. I just wanted to clear some things up.**

* * *

Aragorn led the Fellowship into Lothlorien. He smirked when he noticed Boromir and Ginny had a tight grip on each other's hands. Legolas and Aphrodite were walking together at the back of the group, their arms around each other's waists.

Soft light shone down on the grieving fellowship from between the golden leaves. The hobbits and females still had drying tear tracks on their cheeks from crying. The men all had watery eyes. They were all huddled close together after the events in Moria.

"Stay close, young hobbits..." Gimli warned. "They say a Sorceress lives in these woods." He looked warily around at the empty forest. The only noise was the soft breathing of the companions and the rustling the wind made while going through the leaves.

"I take offense to that, Gimli," Ginny said. She had a nervous waver in her voice too. The wild magic in the forest wrapped around her own magic, unsettling her greatly.

"Sorry, lass. I meant an elf witch of terrible power. All who look upon her fall under her spell. Well, here is one dwarf she won't ensnare so easily. I have the eyes of a hawk and ears of a fox." Gimli gripped the handle of his ax tightly.

"The dwarf breathes so loudly we could have shot him in the dark," a cold voice scowled. There were several thuds as a four beings dropped from the tree tops to surround the fellowship.

"Hello, Aphrodite, Ginny," a dreamy voice said. A blonde young woman stepped in front of the elf that threatened Gimli. Her platinum blonde hair fell in soft waves down to the small of her back. Her wide blue eyes stared unblinkingly at the two women in front of her.

"Luna!" the two girls shouted. They jumped onto their friend.

"So you landed in Lorien?" Ginny asked. She kept a tight grip on her friend's arm, glad to see her alive.

"Yes," Luna smiled. "I do believe it was to help Haldir. His mind was simply swarming with nargles when I first met him. I don't really mind. He is rather nice looking." Luna turned her gaze to Haldir.

The blonde elf gulped as he struggled to hold back a blush. Something about Luna Lovegood turned him into a stuttering mess. Rumil and Orophin chuckled lightly. They understood little of the common tongue, but they found it hilarious that someone could finally get through their brother's cold outer shell. Haldir groaned. He gave up his struggle to remain unaffected. He hadn't lasted very long. His cheeks were stained a blood red. Ginny and Aphrodite started laughing. Luna just smiled. Haldir lowered his bow.

"We should go back," Gimli insisted. He took a step back to find an arrow pointed at his back.

"You have entered the woods of the Lady," Haldir sneered, regaining his composure. "You cannot turn back."

"Be nice," Luna scolded lightly. "Don't be offended. His brain is being controlled by wrackspurts. You need to focus, Haldir." She stared seriously into Haldir's blue eyes.

Haldir glared back. He would not become a blushing fool again! Finally, Haldir groaned .and turned towards Aphrodite. "Does your friend always talk like this?"

"Afraid so," Aphrodite smirked. She threw an arm around Luna's shoulders. "That's just what makes Luna Luna."

Haldir sighed as he locked eyes with Aphrodite. He turned to Frodo. "Come, she is waiting."

* * *

Haldir and his brothers led the Fellowship to Caras Galadhon. Luna walked in between Ginny and Aphrodite, telling them all about her time in Lórien. Aphrodite and Ginny listened intently, occasionally asking questions. Eventually, the Fellowship stood in front of the Lord and Lady of the forest.

"Nine, there are from the original Fellowship, yet ten set out from Rivendell. Tell me, where is Gandalf? I have need to speak with him." Celeborn stared at the ten haggard people before him. His forehead crinkled slightly with worry and curiosity.

Galadriel looked each of the members of the Fellowship in the eye. She started talking when Aragorn opened his mouth to explain. "He has fallen into shadow. The quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it shall fail, to the ruin of all...yet hope remains while the Fellowship remains true. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Go now and rest for you are weary with sorrow and much toil. Tomorrow you shall set out. Luna shall accompany you. Tonight you will sleep in peace."

The Fellowship bowed and followed Orophin to a spot where they could sleep. Luna was about to follow when Haldir grabbed her arm.

"_May we speak for a moment_?" he asked politely in Sindarin.

"_I don't see why not_," Luna smiled, following Haldir to a small clearing. She leaned against a thick tree trunk while watching Haldir pace slightly back and forth before stopping in front of her.

"_I come here to think_," Haldir sighed. "_Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel are the only others who know about it._" He sat down on the flet and gestured for Luna to join him on the floor. Luna gracefully sat beside him.

"_It is beautiful here_," Luna smiled. "_I can see why you would come here._" She turned Haldir's face so he was looking her in the eyes. "_I will miss you when I leave, Haldir._"

"_And I you. I knew you would leave. It seems I have gotten used to your presence in the past month you have been here. I will miss you dearly._" Haldir took Luna's hand and kissed the back.

Luna smiled softly and glanced up at the stars, visible through the gaps in the trees. "_Did I ever mention my mother was an elf?_"

"_Really?_" Haldir asked, shocked. He had become close to Luna, but he still did not know much about her history.

Luna nodded, smiling. "_She was an elf of Rivendell. That's why people of my world found me rather queer. Most had never even heard of an elf besides of a house elf. House elves aren't real elves anyways._" Luna chuckled softly as she remembered Dobby and Kreature, Aphrodite's house elf that had once belonged to Sirius. He was still in England.

Haldir smiled. He truly would miss the odd half-elf.

* * *

"A lament to Gandalf," Legolas said, sitting beside Aphrodite. She leaned against him as she listened to the soft singing of the elves.

"What do they say about him?" Merry asked. He looked over at the two mates from his position beside Pippin.

"I have not the heart to tell," Legolas sighed. "For me the grief is still too near."

Aphrodite placed her hand on Legolas'. She squeezed tightly. "He was like a grandfather to me," she smiled.

"You must miss him dearly." Legolas kissed the top of Aphrodite's head. He could see the grief ripping her apart on the inside just by looking into her eyes that seemed to dance with her emotions.

"Very much so," Aphrodite murmured. Her voice caught on the words.

"Where's Boromir and Ginny?" Aragorn asked. Aphrodite's lips quirked slightly, and she pointed to where her friend was sitting with the Gondorian. Aragorn and Legolas smiled softly too.

* * *

"Um..." Ginny felt awkward sitting with Boromir where before she had felt comfortable. _Bloody almost kiss,_ she thought.

"About what happened in Moria," Boromir started. His face betrayed the warrior. Ginny could see his nervousness etched into his expression.

"It's fine," Ginny sighed. "Just forget it." _Please, please, don't forget about it. Please just kiss me!_

"I don't think I will," Boromir sighed. He placed his hand on Ginny's pale cheek.

"I was hoping you'd say that," Ginny smirked. Boromir laughed softly before bending down and touching his lips to Ginny's. Ginny moaned into the kiss and wound her fingers through Boromir's hair. Her eyes fluttered shut as she began moving her lips in sync with Boromir's. After several moments, they broke apart.

"Would you do me the honor of allowing me to court you?" Boromir asked softly. His eyes were filled with hope.

Ginny's grin widened. "Of course, you idiot!" She threw her arms around Boromir's neck and kissed him again. Boromir tightly wrapped his arms around Ginny's waist.

* * *

"Find the king's son!" Eomer shouted to his travelling companions. The group of men jumped off their horses and began sifting through the dead bodies. Eomer was searching frantically for his cousin.

"Over here, my lord!" one man called from beside a fallen body that was shivering with the cold.

Eomer rushed over with Sirius at his side. Eomer dropped to his knees and removed his older cousin's helmet. He refused to let him die.

"He's still alive," Sirius gasped. He pulled his wand out of his boot and knelt down beside Theodred. "Tergeo." The dried blood around the gaping wound disappeared. "Vulnera Sanentur." Eomer's eyes widened as the gash in his cousin's side slowly stitched itself closed. He ran his fingers through the dark brown strands of hair covered in dried blood.

"He'll be unconscious for awhile," Sirius said. He easily picked up the limp body of the prince. He swung himself up onto his horse, still holding Theodred. Sirius smiled down at Theodred. "Sleep now, my prince," he whispered softly to the younger man. He repositioned Theodred so he was sitting up on the horse in front of Sirius. Sirius wrapped his arm around the prince to steady him. "I will keep you safe."

Eomer mounted his own horse. "We ride for Edoras!" he yelled to his riders.

* * *

Galadriel lightly shook Aphrodite awake. She leaned over the groggy veela. "Follow me, child." Taking Aphrodite's hand, Galadriel led her over to the mirror. She poured water into the mirror. "Look into it, child."

"What will I see?" Aphrodite questioned. The mirror reminded her of a pensive.

"The past, the present, the future, even I do not know." Galadriel stood a few feet away from Aphrodite and the mirror.

Aphrodite took a deep breath before looking down into the glassy water. Her eyes widened at what she saw. Ron, Mrs. Weasley, and Mr. Weasley were at Isengard. Ron was smirking and holding James to his chest. Aphrodite was kneeling in front of him, tears pouring down her cheeks. Legolas' limp body was lying in front of her. His grey eyes were wide open and unseeing. All light had disappeared from them. A bloody knife protruded from his chest.

Tears welling in her eyes, Aphrodite pulled away from the mirror. "Tell me what I saw will not come to pass," she whispered hoarsely as the tears started streaming down her cheeks. "I cannot lose anyone else, especially not my mate."

"It may and it may not," Galadriel answered honestly. She lay a comforting hand on Aphrodite's shaking shoulder. "That is up to you. Go to him now.

Aphrodite thanked Galadriel before walking back to where the Fellowship was sleeping. She sat down besides Legolas.

"I'm so sorry," she murmured softly. She brushed his hair out of his face gently, her fingers lingering on his cheek. Aphrodite jumped, realizing Legolas' eyes were open. She waved her hand in front of his face. When he didn't respond, she relaxed. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this mess, Legolas. I understand if you hate me when you find out. I never wanted you to get hurt."

"Why would I hate you?" Legolas asked softly. He reached up to stroke Aphrodite's pale cheek.

"Were you awake the entire time?" She rested hand on the one Legolas ad on her cheek.

"I couldn't sleep," Legolas defended. He sat up and pulled Aphrodite into his lap. "Now tell me why I would hate you."

Aphrodite looked down at her hands. "Legolas, you are my mate and I love you."

Legolas ran his fingers through Aphrodite's black hair. The veela rested her head on her mate's shoulder. "I love you as well, melleth nin," Legolas promised.

Aphrodite could feel the tears she had tried to hold off start to come down in a downpour. "Legolas, I know you do. That is not why I am upset. Ronald, he's here, in Isengard. He'll come after you if he finds out. He knows magic, Leggy. What if he hurts you? I might not be able to protect you. He might try to reclaim me as his mate. Since we haven't, erm, officially bonded yet, he can do that and take me and James back to England." She knew her mate was going to reject her. She was just too much trouble to be worth his time. "I'm sorry," she whimpered, turning her back to Legolas, which was rather hard while sitting in his lap.

Legolas frowned. He gently turned Aphrodite's face so she was looking at him. Her emerald green eyes were swimming with tears. "Please don't cry," he whispered in her ear. "I don't like it when you cry."

"B-but you're r-rejecting m-me. I c-can't st-stop." Aphrodite clung to Legolas' strong shoulders. She had been over emotional since she was pregnant with James.

Legolas lifted Aphrodite's chin. With calloused fingers from years of using his bow he wiped away her tears. "I will never reject you," he murmured. "I would die of the heartbreak, Aphrodite. I love you so much. I swear I will do whatever it takes to keep you."

"R-really?" Aphrodite stammered. Her fingers twisted themselves in the fabric of Legolas' tunic.

"Of course, melleth nin." Legolas breathed softly, peppering Aphrodite's face with light kisses.

"What does that mean?" Aphrodite dried her tears on the sleeves of her own tunic.

"My love," Legolas replied, placing a kiss on Aphrodite's nose.

Aphrodite smiled as a rosy blush covered her cheeks. "May I sleep with you tonight? I want to be with you."

Legolas let his own smile play at his lips. He slid over so that Aphrodite could lie down next to him on his bedroll. Content for the first time since Gandalf's death, Aphrodite curled up into Legolas' side, resting her head on his chest. "Good night, melleth nin," Legolas whispered, pressing his lips to the top of Aphrodite's head.

"Good night, love," Aphrodite whispered, closing her vibrant eyes.

* * *

"To you, Aphrodite Potter, I can give to you no greater gift than the one that awaits you in Rivendell," Galadriel said. Aphrodite smiled at the mention of her son. Legolas squeezed her hand. "So instead of a gift I give you wisdom. When you reach Isengard, you shall meet people of your past. Do not listen to their words. Their words will trick you."

"Thank you, milady," Aphrodite said, curtsying. She leaned against Legolas' side.

"To you, Ginevra, I offer a place for you and your brother in my family after losing your own." Galadriel smiled at the fiery haired young woman.

"Really?" Ginny asked eagerly. Celeborn smiled at her from his place beside his wife. Ginny launched herself at the two elves. "Thank you," she nearly shouted. "Mom and Dad," she added, smirking. Celeborn laughed. Galadriel smiled happily at her new daughter. Aphrodite smiled at her friend, happy for her.

"Go in good health, Luna," Galadriel smiled at the blond half-elf. "You have trained hard. We give to you the sword Orc Hammer. It has slain many orcs in its days and now it is being passed on to you."

"Thank you, milady," Luna smiled as she took the sheathed sword. She clipped it to her belt. "Keep an eye out for crumple-horned snorkacks, please."

"Of course, dear child," Celeborn laughed.

"Good bye, Haldir." Luna waved at the blonde elf.

"Good bye, Luna," Haldir responded sadly. He lifted his hand in farewell. Luna rolled her large eyes and hugged him tightly.

Luna climbed into the boat behind Aphrodite, Legolas, and Gimli.

* * *

Aphrodite stared up at the statues of Aragorn's ancestors as they passed by. Frodo and Aragorn were both looking at them with great awe. She leaned back against Legolas' chest. Legolas rested his chin on top of Aphrodite's head. "You're short," Legolas commented teasingly.

"No, I am not," Aphrodite snapped. "You're just really tall." Legolas let out a chuckle.

"You are short, little sister," Aragorn called from his boat. He grinned at Aphrodite, who stuck her tongue out at him.

"Glad to see you two getting along!" Ginny shouted from her boat with Boromir, Merry, and Pippin. She was happily cuddled up into Boromir's side.

"Shut up," Aphrodite shouted back. She grinned at her friend to show she wasn't really mad. Luna started laughing at the playfulness the odd group of people that had developed into a family showed towards each other.

**Read the AN at the top. I know at least half of you didn't.**


	8. Splitting Up

"Let's pull over here!" Aragorn called. Legolas, Boromir, and Aragorn rowed their boats over to the sandy shore. Ginny, Aphrodite, and Luna sat down on a mossy log, chatting about their lives and catching up. Luna waved her wand. A bunch of dry logs and sticks flew into a pile in front of the girls and ignited.

"I love magic," Pippin grinned. He sat next to the fire with Sam. Pippin stuck out his hands to warm them up.

"Where's Frodo?" asked Merry curiously. He looked around for his friend, but couldn't find him anywhere.

"Boromir's gone too," Ginny groaned. She stood up, pulling out her wand. She ran after Aragorn into the woods as everyone else started looking around the campsite. They ran towards where they heard shuffling.

"Frodo?" Aragorn called as Frodo came running down the hill. Frodo stumbled and collapsed in front of Aragorn and Ginny, gasping for breath.

"It has taken Boromir," Frodo muttered. He looked up at Aragorn with wide, terrified eyes. Aragorn took a small step forwards. Frodo cringed back.

"Where is the ring?" Ginny asked, urgently. She twisted her head around, still searching for Boromir.

"Stay away!" Frodo shouted out. He grabbed the ring tightly in his hand and held it protectively to his chest.

"Frodo...I swore to protect you," Aragorn promised.

"Can you protect me from yourself?" Aragorn knelt down in front of Frodo. He held Frodo's hand that held the ring in his own. Ginny knelt down behind Aragorn. "Would you destroy it?" Frodo searched Aragorn's eyes for the truth.

"I would have gone with you to the end...into the very fires of Mordor." Aragorn squeezed Frodo's hand tightly.

"I know...look after the others, especially Sam...he wouldn't understand."

Ginny heard a shout from behind her. She turned around. "Frodo! Go! Orcs are coming!" She pulled out her wand and shot a blasting hex at the nearest orc. She ducked an arrow that came whistling over her head.

"Run! Run!" Aragorn shouted when Frodo hesitated. Frodo bolted down the hill towards Legolas, Aphrodite, Gimli, and Luna. Luna had her new sword out. Already, it was stained with the black blood of orcs. "Incendio!" Ginny shouted, pointing her wand at a group of orcs. They went up in flames.

Aragorn swung his sword at the leading Uruk-hai, distracting him long enough to allow Frodo to run. Ginny was sending blasting curses and incendio at anything that came within five feet of her.

Meanwhile, Boromir was holding his own while protecting Merry and Pippin. He swung his broad sword in an arc around himself as the hobbits ducked under the shining blade. Boromir blew his horn when more and more Uruk-hai started swarming around the hobbits and him.

"The horn of Gondor!" Legolas yelled. He turned towards Boromir's direction. Aphrodite stood next to him, panting.

"Boromir!" Ginny screamed. She ran towards the sound of the horn. The others ran after her.

"Boromir!" Pippin shouted as an Uruk lifted him up easily. Another creature lifted up Merry who shouted in surprise. The Uruk knocked him on the head, causing him to pass out. The lead Uruk-hai stood in front of Boromir. He raised his bow and fired a shot into Boromir's shoulder.

Adrenaline pumping through his veins, Boromir lifted his sword back up and swung it at an approaching Uruk-hai. The lead Uruk fired another shot into Boromir's chest, right below his heart. Still, Boromir kept fighting. The Uruk-hai shot him again, and Boromir fell to the ground. The Uruk-hai loomed ominously over him.

"Avada Kedavra!" Ginny screeched when she saw the Uruk-hai pointing an arrow at Boromir's heart. The Uruk-hai dropped dead. Ginny ran over to Boromir. She dropped to the ground beside him and moved his head into her lap. Gently, she ran her fingers through his matted hair. Tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"They took the little ones," Boromir choked out.

Ginny put her finger over his blood-stained lips. "Shh, love. Save your breath. Luna, please save him." She looked up at Luna with wide, tear-filled eyes. "I'm begging you, Luna."

Luna knelt down on Boromir's other side. She opened her bag. "Accio blood replenisher," she said, pointing her wand into the bag. A blood red potion flew into Luna's hand. She handed it to Ginny who poured it down Boromir's throat. Boromir coughed at the awful taste.

Meanwhile, Luna broke the shafts off the three arrows in Boromir's chest. She pulled a medical knife out of her bag. She made the cuts where the arrowheads had cut into Boromir's chest bigger. Boromir groaned and squeezed Ginny's hand tightly. Cringing slightly, Luna pulled the arrowheads out of the flesh. She quickly healed the cuts.

"You okay, love?" Ginny asked Boromir.

"Fine," he whispered. With Ginny's help, he managed to sit up. He leant back against Ginny for support "Where is Frodo?"

"I let him go," Aragorn said softly. He looked over at the water.

"If we are quick, we will catch Frodo and Sam before nightfall," Legolas urged. He put his bow back on his back.

Aphrodite took his hand. "They need to do this by themselves," she whispered to him. "I have been in Frodo's place before. This is where the Fellowship splits."

"Then it has failed," Gimli groaned.

"Not if we hold true to each other," Aragorn chided. "I would not leave Merry and Pippin to their fates." He grabbed his knife and sheathed it. Aragorn grabbed his bag and shouldered it.

"We'll need to travel light," Boromir said, standing up with Ginny's help. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and rubbed his chest lightly, feeling no open wounds. "Thank you, Luna."

"Your welcome," Luna smiled. She waved her wand and all of their supplies became weightless. She smiled up at the Fellowship from her spot on the ground. "Now that our things are weightless, shall we?" she asked, standing up.


	9. Rohan

**A new chapter, yay!**

"There pace has quickened!" Aragorn shouted. "We must hurry!"

"Come on, Gimli, Ginny," Legolas called over his shoulder.

Ginny groaned but sped up to run next to Boromir.

"Dwarves are natural born sprinters," Gimli called back. "We're wasted on cross country."

Aphrodite and Luna burst into giggles. Aragorn couldn't help but roll his eyes good naturedly at the dwarf. Suddenly, he paused. Reaching down, he picked up one of the hobbit's brooches.

"Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall," Luna said mystically.

"They're still alive then," Aphrodite grinned, a smile stretching across her face.

"Less than a day ahead of us," Aragorn mused. "Come!"

"Rohan," Boromir panted when they stopped again. "The home of the horse-lords. There is something strange at work here. Some evil gives great speed to these creatures." Boromir rubbed a cramp out of his chest.

"Legolas, what do your elf eyes see?" Aragorn called to his elven friend.

"The uruks turn northeast!" Legolas called back from his position in the front. "They head to Isengard."

"Saruman," Ginny growled. Her grip on Boromir's hand tightened.

* * *

"Wake up, my prince," Sirius whispered in Theodred's ear. "We're almost at Edoras. You can rest some more once we get you a bed."

Theodred groggily sat up from his position. He had been out for almost the entire ride. He had been quite comfortable using the older man's chest as a pillow. The people came out to see their prince and the nephew of the king return home. Theodred waved to the townspeople as the horse he was riding on with Sirius passed them. Sirius and Eomer helped Theodred into his bedroom.

"Sleep," Eomer ordered even as Daphne and Eowyn came running into the room. Daphne threw her arms around Eomer when she saw he had returned safely. "Hello, love," he whispered into her hair. "Sirius, I trust you to look after my cousin. When he awakes, bring him to me. We must speak with the king."

"Of course, Eomer," Sirius promised.

* * *

Three hours later found Sirius, Theodred, and Eomer speaking with the king. "I was ambushed by orcs, father," Theodred said. "If we don't defend our country, Saruman will take it by force."

"That is a lie," Grima shouted. "Saruman has ever been our friend and ally."

"Shut it, snake," Sirius growled.

"Grima...Grima...my son, Grima," Theoden mumbled.

"I am here, father," Theodred said. "I'm right here, father."

Theoden stared past his son. Theodred frowned. Gently, Sirius rested his hand on Theodred's shoulder for comfort.

Eomer frowned. "Orcs are running through our lands unchallenged. Unchecked. Killing at will. Orcs bearing the white hand of Saruman." Eomer dropped the helmet he was holding in front of Theoden. A white hand was marked across the top.

"Why do you lay these troubles on an already troubled mind?" Grima asked. "Can't you see your king is already wearied by your malcontent and war-mongering."

"War-mongering?" Sirius asked, affronted.

Eomer grabbed Grima and shoved him against the wall. "How long is it since Saruman bought you? What was the promised price, Grima? When all the men are dead you take your share of the treasure?" Grima's eyes flickered to Daphne who had just entered the room with George and Eowyn. "Too long have you watched my fiancée, too long have you haunted her steps." Eomer was pulled off Grima by some guards.

Grima straightened up. "Eomer, son of Eomund, Theodred, son of Theoden, and Sirius, son of Orion, you are henceforth banished from this kingdom. Under pain of death."

"You can't do that!" Daphne shouted. George pulled her back. The guards pulled Sirius, Theodred, and Eomer from the hall. Daphne struggled out of George's tight grip and ran after Eomer. She followed the three men into the stables. "I'm coming with you," she said.

"Please stay here," Eomer begged her. "I can't risk you getting hurt."

"Daphne's a good fighter," Sirius said, recalling the time he had found Daphne surrounded by orcs. Eomer still looked uncertain about allowing her to come with them.

"Would you rather me stay here with Wormtongue, Eomer?" Daphne smirked.

Eomer's eyes widened. He grabbed Daphne and pulled her up on the horse behind him. "Shall we?" he asked. Theodred and Sirius started laughing.

* * *

"A red sun rises," Legolas frowned. "Blood has been spilled on this night." Boromir was panting as he helped Ginny up onto the boulder next to him. Aphrodite wound her fingers through Legolas'.

"Do you think Merry and Pippin are alright?" she asked.

"There's no real way of knowing, lass," Gimli sighed.

"We must have hope," said Aragorn. A thundering filled the air.

"What is that," Luna asked. "It does not sound like orcs."

"It's not," Aragorn grinned. "Come, hide." The Fellowship hid behind the boulders as two thousand horses thundered past them. "Riders of Rohan," Aragorn called. "What news from the Mark?" The horses turned and formed a perfect circle around the group.

"What business does a dwarf, two elves, two men, and two women have in the Riddermark?" a tall man with dark hair asked, "Speak quickly." A blonde man with a girl on the back of his horse and another dark haired man rode up beside the first man.

"Give me your name, Horse Master, and I shall give you mine," Gimli said gruffly.

The first man handed his spear to the other dark haired man and jumped off his horse. "I would cut off your head, Dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground."

"Watch it," Ginny growled, stepping out from behind Boromir. Boromir placed his hand on her shoulder and pulled her back.

"I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn," Aragorn introduced himself. "This is Gimli, son of Gloin, Legolas of the Woodland realm, Boromir, son of Denethor, Luna, daughter of Xenophilius, Ginevra, daughter of Celebron, and Aphrodite, daughter of James. We are friends of Rohan and of Theoden, your king."

"Aphrodite," the third man gasped. He swung his leg over the back of his horse and jumped down. Quickly, he pulled off his helmet.

"Sirius," Aphrodite cried. She threw herself at him. Sirius laughed, catching Aphrodite with ease. He spun her around in a circle.

"So I heard you named your kid after me," he grinned.

"Great," the girl behind the blond man groaned. "His ego just got ten times bigger."

"Daphne?" Ginny asked.

"S'up," the blonde girl grinned. "You idiots miss me?" She jumped off the horse and wrapped her arms around her ginger friend. Aphrodite released Sirius from her grasp and wrapped her arms around Daphne. Daphne eagerly squeezed her back. The man that had shared a horse with Daphne removed his helmet to reveal Eomer.

"King Theoden no longer recognizes friend from foe," he sighed. "Not even his own kin."

"I am Theodred, son of the king," the first man said.

"I am Eomer, the king's nephew," Eomer introduced himself.

"Saruman has poisoned the mind of the king," Theodred said. "He claims lordship over these lands. Eomer's and my own company are those loyal to Rohan. And for that we were banished. The White Wizard is cunning. He walks here and there, they say, as an old man, hooded and cloaked. And everywhere his spies slip past our net."

"We are not spies," Boromir assured the prince. "We track a party of Uruk-hai westward across the plain. They've taken two of our friends captive."

"The Uruks are destroyed," Eomer responded. "We destroyed them during the night."

"But there were two hobbits," Ginny said, her eyes glistening with worry. "Did you see two hobbits with them?"

"They would look naught more than children to your eyes," Aragorn added helpfully.

"We left none alive," Daphne said regretfully. "We piled the carcasses and burned them."

"Dead?" Aphrodite gasped. She clutched at her heart.

"I'm sorry," Sirius whispered, pulling her into a hug. Aphrodite rested her head on his chest.

Theodred whistled. Three horses came forward. "Look for your friends. Sirius and I will aid you. Eomer, I leave you in charge of the Rohirrim. Daphne, stay with him." Both nodded and got back up on the horse they shared. Sirius lifted Luna onto his horse. He climbed up behind Theodred. Legolas pulled Aphrodite up behind him while Ginny hopped up behind Boromir. Gimli got on behind Aragorn. Together, they rode off, away from the Rohirrim and towards the smoke.

"It's one of their wee belts," Gimli said when they reached the burning carcasses.

"Hiro îth...ab 'wanath," Legolas whispered softly. "May they find peace in death," he translated, noting Aphrodite's curious eye.

"ARRRGGGHHHH!" Aragorn shouted, falling to his knees.

"We have failed them," Ginny muttered. Boromir wrapped her in a tight hug.

Aragorn's eyes widened when he saw something on the ground. He crawled forward. Everyone followed him. "A hobbit laid here. And another. Their hands were bound." Aragorn continued following the trail. "Their bonds were cut. The tracks lead away from the battle."

"Fangorn Forest?" Gimli asked. "What madness led them in there?"

Luna shrugged her shoulders and started walking into the forest. The others followed.

"These are strange tracks," Theodred frowned once they were all in the forest.

"I'm getting seriously claustrophobic," Aphrodite groaned. She clung to Legolas' arm. "I don't like it in here."

"The forest is old," Legolas said. "Very old. Full of memory...and anger. The trees are speaking to each other."

"Do lower your axe, Gimli," Luna said. "I don't think the trees appreciate it." Gimli's eyes widened and he quickly lowered his axe.

"Aragorn," Legolas whispered urgently. "Nad nâ ennas."

"Man cenich?' Aragorn asked.

"The White Wizard approaches," Legolas replied.

Aragorn, Theodred, Sirius, Luna, and Boromir all drew their swords. Legolas drew his bow. Gimli raised his axe. Ginny and Aphrodite lifted their wands.

"Do not let him speak," Sirius instructed. "He'll put a spell on us. We must be quick!" Legolas and Gimli let their axe and arrow fly. They dropped to the ground. Aragorn, Sirius, Theodred, Ginny, Luna, Boromir, and Aphrodite all dropped their swords and wands, respectively, as they became blisteringly hot. A figure was covered by a blinding light.

"You are tracking the footsteps of two young hobbits," the figure said.

"Where are they?" Boromir demanded. He squinted in an attempt to see through the light.

"They travelled this way the day before yesterday. They met someone they did not expect. Does that comfort you?"

"Who are you?" Aragorn demanded. "Show yourself." The light dissipated. Gandalf was left standing where it once was.

"Grandpa!" Aphrodite yelled. She ran forward and hugged him. She was closely followed by Ginny and Luna.

"Hello, my dears," Gandalf smiled, hugging them all back. Gandalf recounted the story of how he battled and defeated the balrog. "Gandalf...yes, that is what they used to call me. I was Gandalf the Grey. Now, I am Gandalf the White. And I come to you at the turn of the tide." Gandalf threw a grey cloak over his shoulders. "Come, we must make our way to Edoras." The group followed Gandalf out of Fangorn Forest to where their horses were resting. They all climbed back on their designated horses. Gandalf let loose a long whistle, and his horse, Shadowfax came running forth.

"That is one of the Mearas," Luna smiled, petting the snout of the horse. "Hello, Shadowfax." Shadowfax neighed and butted his head into Luna's hand. "Be careful what you say to the king," Gandalf warned as he pulled himself up onto Shadowfax.

"My father's mind is controlled by Saruman," Theodred added.

* * *

"My lord," Eowyn called to her uncle. "Why have you let the snake send your son and nephew away? Will you not do something?"

George stood by her side. "King Theoden, you must defend your mind against Wormtongue. He is using you to get what he wants."

When Theoden didn't answer, Eowyn left George alone with her uncle. She was walking back to her room. "It must be hard since both your brother and your cousin abandoned you, my lady," Wormtongue said, sneaking up behind Eowyn.

"Leave me alone, Snake," Eowyn scowled. "I have no desire to see your hideous face."

"Oh," Wormtongue asked. "But you are alone. Who knows what words you have spoke to the darkness. So fair, so cold," he mused, moving his hand to her cheek. He slowly traced it down until it rested on her neck.

"Your words are poison," Eowyn spat. She stormed off to a balcony where she was rejoined by George.

"You okay?" he asked gently.

"I miss Eomer and Theodred," she admitted.

"You shall see them again," George said softly.

"How do you know?"

George smirked. He pointed off the balcony to where five horses were riding into Edoras. "I do believe your dear cousin is sharing a horse with Sirius down there at this very moment."

Eowyn gasped. She grabbed George's hand, pulling him back down to the throne room. "We must hurry."

* * *

"You'll find more cheer in a graveyard," Gimli said as they were jumping off their horses. Theodred glanced at the ground as he pulled his hood over his head. It wouldn't be good if the guards recognized him. Sirius followed suit.

"Ah," Gandalf smiled as the group finished climbing the steps. "Hama."

"I cannot allow you into the hall of Theoden-King so heavily armed, Gandalf Greyhame, by order of Grima Wormtongue."

Gandalf nodded and gestured for the others to remove their weapons. "My prince?" Hama asked softly when Theodred handed him his sword. Theodred smirked and held a finger to his lips, making sure the shadow of his hood covered his face up to there. Hama's face lit up and he nodded. "Your staff," he reminded Gandalf.

"You would not part an old man from his walking stick, would you?" Gandalf asked innocently. Aphrodite decided to help him feign old age and grabbed his left arm for support. Leaning heavily on Aphrodite, Gandalf entered the hall with the others following.

"Gandalf the Grey is coming, my lord," Grima announced. "He is a herald of woe."

"The courtesy of your hall is somewhat lessened of late, Theoden-King," Gandalf said simply.

"He is not welcome," Wormtongue hissed in Theoden's ear.

"Why...should I welcome you...Gandalf Stormcrow?" Theoden wheezed. Theodred visibly cringed at the state his father was in. Sirius lay a comforting hand on his arm.

"A just question my liege," Wormtongue agreed. "Late is the hour in which this conjurer chooses to appear. Lathspell I name him. Ill news is an ill guest."

"Be silent!" Gandalf commanded. "Keep your forked tongue behind your teeth. I did not pass through fire and death to bandy crooked words with a witless worm!" Gandalf raised his staff, and Wormtongue was blasted back.

"I told you to take his staff!" Grima shouted. The guards started to surround the companions.

"Immobulus!" Aphrodite shouted. The guards immediately froze. George and Eowyn burst through the door together. When George saw Ginny, he rushed over to her and wrapped his arms around her. Ginny hugged her brother back. Eowyn looked around for her cousin, but she didn't recognize him because of his hood.

Gandalf moved to stand directly in front of Theoden. "Theoden, son of Thengel, too long have you sat in the shadows." Gandalf thrust his staff forward, sending Theoden back into his throne. "Hearken to me, and I shall release you from the curse!"

Theoden began to laugh in Saruman's voice. "You have no power here, Gandalf the Grey!"

Gandalf threw his cloak off his shoulders. "I will draw you, Saruman, as poison is drawn from a wound." Eowyn tried to rush forward, but George caught her around the waist. "Be gone!"

Theoden fell to the ground. Eowyn rushed forward as Theoden's features began to deage, his hair turning a wavy dirty blonde instead of a white, kinky mess. "I know your face," he whispered to her. "Eowyn...Eowyn." She nodded, smiling.

"Your fingers would remember their old strength better if the grasped your sword," Gandalf said.

Hama rushed forwards and handed Theoden his sword. "Where is my son?" Theoden asked. Theodred removed his hood and knelt by his father. "Theodred?"

"Hello, Father," Theodred said softly. Theoden threw his arms around his son. Sirius smiled at the sight and removed his own hood.

"Sirius," Theoden grinned, seeing one of his most trusted riders. Theodred helped his father stand up. Theoden walked over to where Grima was quivering on the ground.

"I've only ever served you, my lord," Grima begged.

"Your leech craft would have had me crawling on all fours like a beast," Theoden scowled. He raised his sword.

"No, my lord!" Aragorn called. "Enough blood has been shed on his behalf. Let him go free." Aragorn held out his hand to Grima to help him up. Wormtongue spat on it and fled. Aragorn's nose wrinkled in disgust as he wiped his hand on his pants.

"Hail, Theoden-King," Hama shouted with the rest of the guards.

Theoden waved to them all before following Gandalf into the throne room. After Gandalf left, and he had spoken to his son, Theoden called Sirius in to speak with him.

"My son tells me you saved his life after he was attacked by orcs," Theoden said, gesturing for Sirius to straighten from his bow.

"It was nothing," Sirius said. "I couldn't let him just die when I could save him."

"Still, I wish to offer you a reward."

"The only thing I could ever possibly want is something you cannot give me, my king," Sirius sighed.

"Try me," the king smirked.

"I wish to be allowed to court your son, Theoden-King."

Theoden's eyes widened. He tapped his chin as he thought about Sirius' request. He nodded his head. "Very well. I shall allow you to court my son. Rest assured that if you hurt him, you will not live to see another sunrise."

Sirius grinned. He didn't think the king would say yes. "Of course, my king. Thank you."

Sirius bowed before leaving the room in search of Theodred. He went straight to the gardens. Theodred loved to sit outside in his free time. Sirius was in luck and found the object of his affections sketching a lily on some spare parchment.

"Theodred!" Sirius called, sitting down next to the young prince. Theodred hummed in acknowledgement. "I have a really important question."

Theodred carefully rolled up the parchment and put down his quill. "Is something wrong, Sirius?" he asked.

"No," Sirius said quickly. "I was just wondering if you would allow me to court you."

Theodred looked into Sirius' grey eyes with his own intense blue ones. He quirked his eyebrow, smirking slightly. Sirius stared into the blue eyes, trying to determine the prince's feelings. "I was wondering when you were going to ask," was all Theodred said before his lips were on Sirius' own. Sirius groaned and placed his hands on Theodred's waist as the prince warped his fingers through the older man's hair.

"I'm going to take that as a yes," Sirius grinned when he pulled back, panting. Theodred smiled back.

A few hours later found the Fellowship and the people of Rohan journeying to Helm's Deep. Gandalf had gone in search of Eomer, Daphne, and the Rohirrim.


	10. Preparing for Battle

**Here's a new chapter everyone. Thank you for all the reviews! Please, keep them up.**

Faramir beckoned Hermione forward. She smiled and took his hand. "We need to leave now, love," he whispered into her hair, pulling her forwards into a tight hug.

"I know. I'm coming with you," Hermione sighed.

Faramir pulled back. "It will be dangerous."

"I've done far worse," Hermione pointed out.

"Very well," Faramir agreed. "Please try not to get hurt."

"I leave that to Aphrodite." Hermione and Faramir both chuckled. They grabbed their sword and wand respectively before joining the other rangers. They both pulled up their hoods before charging the men from the south. "Sectumsempra!" Hermione shouted, pointing her wand at a man who was steering a Mumakil. The man fell off and dropped behind some bushes, dead.

"Nice aim," Faramir said, stabbing a man in the stomach.

"Thanks," Hermione smirked, knocking another man over the cliff. "Come on. I sense something over there." Faramir beckoned his men to follow him and Hermione as they made their way through the bushes. As soon as they passed through the underbrush, Sam jumped onto them. Hermione blasted him back.

"You do magic too," Frodo gasped.

"You have met others like me?" Hermione whispered hopefully.

"Luna, Ginny, and Aphrodite," Sam said quickly, realizing this girl might be able to help them.

"Then they are safe," Hermione laughed. She leaned back against Faramir's chest.

"How do I know I can trust you?" Faramir asked raising his eyebrow.

"Look into my eyes," Hermione instructed Frodo. Hermione looked into Frodo's mind. She saw the journey for the ring, meeting Ginny, and running from orcs. She quickly pulled back. "We must get them to safety," she gasped. Faramir nodded, lifting up Sam. Hermione picked up Frodo, and they made their way back to their camp with the other rangers.

* * *

"It's true you don't see many dwarf women," Gimli told Aphrodite, Ginny, Luna, and Eowyn. The four girls were walking on both sides of his horse. Legolas, Aragorn, Boromir, George, Sirius, and Theodred were riding on horses a little behind them. "In fact, they are so alike in voice and appearance to dwarf men that they are often mistaken for dwarf men."

Ginny giggled and looked back at Boromir. 'It's the beards,' he mouthed, stroking his chin. Aphrodite and Ginny broke out in giggles.

"And this in turn has given rise to the belief that their are no dwarf women," Gimli continued. "And that dwarves just spring out of a hole in the ground." Eowyn, Ginny, Luna, and Aphrodite were laughing hysterically. "Which is of course preposterous. Woah!" Gimli's horse surged forwards, knocking him off. Eowyn rushed forward and helped him up, trying to stifle her laughter. "Nobody panic!" Gimli shouted. "That was deliberate!"

"Sure it was, Gimli," Ginny laughed.

* * *

The next day, Aphrodite rode on the back of Legolas' horse with him. Legolas followed Hama and Gamling up to scout ahead. "What is it?" Gamling asked. "Hama?"

"I'm not sure," Hama murmured.

"Look out!" Aphrodite shrieked. With wide eyes, Hama ducked under the incoming warg. "Stupefy!" Aphrodite yelled. The warg dropped down, stunned. Legolas fired an arrow, killing it.

"Go with the other women," he pleaded.

"And leave you?" Aphrodite growled. "I think not." She slid off the back of the horse and charged into the oncoming orcs. Legolas groaned and followed his mate into battle.

"Eowyn," Theoden called. "Lead the people to Helm's Deep."

"I can fight!" she yelled back.

"Please," George begged. "I can't lose you too." Looking into George's broken eyes, Eowyn relented and began ushering those who couldn't fight down the path as the riders charged into the wargs and orcs.

Luna slashed and hacked at the orcs with her Elvish sword. She preferred the blade over her wand. Her wand was more of a healing tool. Luna ducked under the blade of an orc before moving to stand back to back with George who was firing spells off at the orcs and wargs. Theodred and Sirius quickly joined them.

Ginny and Boromir stood back to back. They moved in perfect sync to a point where it was scary. It seemed the two had been fighting together their entire lives. "Duck!" Ginny shouted, twisting her body to avoid an orc arrow. Boromir followed her instructions and dodged the oncoming arrow. He turned to the left and thrust his sword into another orcs chest. Soon enough, the battle was over.

"Aragorn!" Legolas shouted.

"Aragorn?" Gimli asked, looking for his friend.

"Tell me what happened to him," Aphrodite snapped at the wheezing orc at her feet. "And I shall ease your passing."

Legolas and Gimli ran up to stand beside the ebony haired girl.

"He's dead," the orc wheezed. "Took a little tumble off the cliff."

"No," Legolas gasped. He ran to the edge of the cliff as the orc breathed his last breath. There was no sign of his friend. He bent down and picked up the Evenstar pendant which had dropped there. Aphrodite wrapped her arms around Legolas. A tear dripped down her cheek as Legolas held her closely.

* * *

During the last few hours in the journey to Helm's Deep, everyone was somber. Many had died in the battle. When we got to Helm's Deep, Theoden immediately sent the women into the caves. Sirius tried to convince Aphrodite, Luna, and Ginny to go too, but they wouldn't listen to him. Instead, the three girls headed to the armory with Boromir, Gimli, and Legolas to help put the younger boys in armor.

* * *

"What news?" Hermione asked as she and Faramir walked over to Madril. "Orcs are on the move. They come closer and closer to our border."

"How many?" Faramir asked urgently.

"Thousands. More come everyday."

Faramir groaned. He sank down against the wall. Hermione knelt down next to him. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "When the odds are against us, we need to keep fighting just to prove everyone wrong," she said. "It's my favorite quote."

"Who said it?" Faramir asked curiously.

"Aphrodite."

Faramir chuckled softly. Growing serious again, Faramir walked over to where Frodo and Sam were sitting. "My men tell me you are orc spies," he said solemnly.

"Spies!" Sam asked in outrage.

"I don't believe them," Faramir added.

"Oh," Sam blushed.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Frodo Baggins of the Shire," Frodo introduced. "This is Sam Gamgee."

"Your bodyguard?" Faramir asked curiously.

"His gardener," Sam said.

"We set out from Rivendell with eight companions," Frodo continued. "Another joined us a few weeks into our journey. One we lost in the mines of Moria. Two were my kin. A dwarf there was also. And an elf. We picked up a half-elf maiden in Lothlorien. Two men were also travelling with us. Aragorn, son of Arathorn, and Boromir of Gondor."

Faramir's eyes widened. Hermione sat down beside him in front of the hobbits. "Were you friends of Boromir's?" she asked softly.

"Yes..." Frodo said softly. "For my part."

"It will grieve you then to learn that he is dead," Faramir whispered.

"Dead?" Frodo asked. "How?"

"As one of my companions, I hoped you could tell me," Faramir said. "He was my brother." Hermione wrapped her arms around Faramir in comfort.

* * *

Later that night, a soldier approached Faramir and Hermione. Faramir was leaning against the cave wall, and Hermione was sleeping with her head in his lap. "Captain Faramir, we found the third traveler."

"Where is he?" Faramir asked, rousing Hermione from her sleep. The soldier beckoned Faramir to follow him. Faramir gently laid Hermione's head on the ground before standing up and following. He instantly saw Gollum with just one glance into the cavern below him. Faramir quickly went to get Frodo and led him to the cliff overlooking the pool.

Frodo's eyes widened when he saw Gollum. "Don't shoot him, please. This creature is bound to me and I to him." Frodo quickly descended to the pool. "Smeagol, Master is here. Come to Master." Frodo gestured for Gollum to follow him.

"We must go now?" Gollum asked cautiously.

"Trust Master, Smeagol," Frodo encouraged. Gollum started following Frodo. The rangers quickly grabbed Gollum and threw him on the floor in front of Faramir.

"Where were you leading them?" Faramir scowled.

"Master betrayed us," Gollum sneered.

"No, not its business!" Smeagol argued with himself. "Leave us alone!"

Filthy little hobbitses," Gollum shouted. "The stole it from us."

"No," Smeagol sobbed.

"What did they steal?" Faramir asked warily.

Gollum turned to smirk at the ranger. "My precious!"

Faramir turned to look at Hermione. "What should I do with the hobbits?"

"Let them go," she urged. "Their errand is of great importance. Much like the hunt I went on that I told you about."

Faramir nodded. "There is a passage out of Osgiliath. It will be safer for them." Hermione nodded, smiling.

* * *

Ginny and Boromir were cuddling in the entry hall of Helm's Deep. "How do you feel about Aragorn's death?" she asked softly.

"I don't really know," Boromir sighed. "At first I was determined to dislike him, but I couldn't. He was like the older brother I've always wanted. I've always had to look after Faramir because I knew my father would never do it. I've never really had someone look after me. Aragorn was the first. It felt nice being the little brother for once."

Ginny chuckled. "I hate being the little sister. My brothers never thought I could take care of myself. I do miss them though. At least Bill, Charlie, and Percy. Bill married a girl named Fleur Delacour. They have a daughter named Victoire, and Fleur's pregnant again. They also took in Teddy after his grandmother died. Teddy is Aphrodite's godson, but at the time she wasn't ready to take care of a child. Charlie married a girl named Alicia Spinnet. She's really cool. Percy married a girl named Audrey. She's pregnant too. Percy had a falling out with our family a while back. He came back in the end though, and I still love him."

"I would love Faramir even if he turned evil," Boromir agreed. "What about Ronald, your mother, and your father. They are your family too."

"I prefer not to think about that," Ginny sighed. "I guess we're still blood related, but I don't see them as my family anymore. Hermione, Aphrodite, Luna, and Daphne are the closest things I have to sisters. After what they did to Aphi, I really never want to see them again."

Boromir opened his mouth to say something when the people of Rohan began shouting. "He's alive!"

The couple looked up to see Aragorn riding in on a horse. As soon as Aragorn jumped down, Boromir pulled the taller man into a fierce hug. When he pulled back, Boromir punched Aragorn's shoulder.

Chuckling, Aragorn rubbed his shoulder. "It's good to see you too, Boromir. Hello, Ginny."

"Glad to see your not dead," Ginny smirked.

Gimli came running into the room. "Where is he? I need to kill him!" He smiled when he saw Aragorn and pulled him into another hug. "Bless you, laddie." Aragorn laughed harder.

"Gimli, where is the king?" he asked.

Gimli gestured to a hall. Before Aragorn could enter though, he ran into Luna, Aphrodite, and Legolas.

"You're late," Legolas said simply.

"You were supposed to be here ten minutes ago," Luna added.

"You look bloody awful," Aphrodite stated. She put the evenstar in Aragorn's hand.

"Hannon le," he said gratefully.

"Thank you?" Aphrodite asked. Aragorn nodded before following Legolas to the king.

Aphrodite looked up when Legolas walked back into the room. "What was the king's decision?"

"We prepare for battle," Legolas frowned. "Come, we must get you some armor. You as well, Ginny. Luna, I assume you already have yours."

Luna nodded. "I'll help Boromir with Ginny. You do Aphrodite."

Legolas nodded. He placed his hand on the bottom of Aphrodite's back and led her to the armory. "You seem troubled," Aphrodite said softly.

"These are not warriors," Legolas whispered in her ear. "They will not last the night."

Aphrodite pulled away from him. "Have faith, my love. We thought all was lost in the Final Battle, yet here Luna, George, Ginny, and I are. All will be well."

Legolas smiled and threw a chest plate at Aphrodite. "Try that on," he said. He helped her pull it over her head and fasten it. Aphrodite waved her wand to shrink it and mold it to fit her feminine body. Legolas put the leg and arm guards on for her. He stepped back and smiled. "A beautiful Mirkwood elleth warrior," he smiled.

"The female elves in your land fight?" she asked curiously.

"The captain of our guard was an elleth named Tariel until she fell in love with a dwarf." Legolas made a face. Aphrodite laughed and punched his shoulder.

"I take offense to that!" Gimli shouted. Aphrodite started laughing harder until a boy bumped into her.

"I'm so sorry, my lady," he said, backing away.

Aphrodite turned to him, smiling. "It's okay. I'm not hurt. I think you need to get your armor on, little one." Aphrodite ruffled the young boys hair and sent him on his way. Aragorn walked into the room. He walked over to where Boromir, Ginny, Luna, Gimli, Legolas, and Aphrodite were standing in the corner.

"These men have seen too many winters," Boromir hissed.

"Or too few," Gimli added.

"They are frightened," Luna said. "I can see it in their eyes."

"I am prepared to die for them, as one of them," Aragorn said simply.

"Or you could fight for them and skip the dying part," Ginny muttered.

"I like that idea," Aphrodite smirked. Aragorn rolled his eyes at the girls.

* * *

Boromir was helping Aragorn finish strapping on his armor. Aragorn picked up his sword and replaced it in its sheath. "If we had more time, I would get this adjusted," Gimli groaned, letting his chain mail drop to the floor. Aphrodite and Ginny started cracking up when they saw him. "It's a little tight in the chest." Luna smiled sympathetically and waved her wand. The chain mail shortened and loosened itself. Gimli quickly thanked Luna. She waved him off.

A horn sounded in the distance. "That is no orc horn," Legolas frowned. Aragorn, Luna, and Legolas grinned and ran in the direction of the horn. The rest of the Fellowship quickly followed them.

"Haldir!" Luna shouted when she saw her favorite elf. She ran at him and jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his slender waist. Haldir's eyes widened as he caught the half elf.

"Hello, Luna," he said, shocked to find her in his arms.

"Mae govannen, Haldir," Luna smiled.

"Thank you, Luna," Haldir replied. He put the tiny elleth down. "We are proud to fight beside men once more."

"We must get in position," Luna said. She grabbed Haldir's arm, yanking him along behind her. Haldir was too stunned to do anything but follow after her. The other elves quickly followed their leader. All the men were already in position. The elves and the Fellowship quickly joined them.


	11. Battle of the Hornburg

**Sorry about the delay. My friend has recently convinced me to start Supernatural. Yes, I know I'm behind the game. I have become obsessed. As I write this I am watching an episode. So that has basically been my past week. Thank you for all your reviews!**

"You could have picked a better spot," Gimli grumbled as he stood between Boromir and Legolas.

"We could describe it to you," Boromir offered, smirking. He bit his lip to stifle his chuckles.

"Or we could find you a box," Legolas finished. Gimli glared at the two. Aragorn walked up behind them. Ginny was on Boromir's left, and Aphrodite was on Legolas' right. George stood on the other side of Ginny. Luna was with Haldir and the other elves.

"Whatever luck you live by," Gimli said to Aragorn, "let us hope it lasts the night."

"Let's hope we all make it," George added. His right fist clenched around his sword handle.

Aragorn smiled bitterly. "A Eruchîn, ú-dano i faelas a hyn an uben tanatha le faelas!"

"What's that mean?" Boromir asked.

"Show them no mercy," Legolas answered. "For you shall receive none."

"Dartho!" Aragorn yelled to the elves. An old man accidentally released his arrow. It hit an orc in the front.

"And so it begins," Theoden muttered. He unsheathed his sword and held it at the side of his side.

"Leithio i phillinn!" Aragorn yelled. The elves released their arrows. They rained down on the orcs.

"Give them a volley," Theoden ordered. He thrust his sword forward in front of him.

"Fire!" Theodred shouted to his men. Sirius stepped up next to him and grabbed his hand. "Don't die, love," Theodred whispered.

"I could say the same to you," Sirius grinned weakly. Theodred squeezed his hand.

"Fire!" Aragorn shouted again.

"I love you," Sirius said.

"I love you too," Theodred replied. He raised his swords as orcs began scaling the wall. Sirius knocked the ladder closest to them over. "Don't leave me," Theodred whispered before engaging an uruk-hai in battle. Sirius and Theodred stood back to back, fighting off the orcs.

"Pendraid!" Aragorn shouted. Elves began firing down the ladders, knocking off multiple uruk-hai at a time. Aragorn's eyes widened as he saw an uruk-hai with a flaming torch. "Na fennas!" he yelled. Elves began shooting the the uruk-hai.

"Legolas!" Aphrodite shrieked, pointing at the uruk-hai. Legolas took aim and fired. His arrow hit its mark, but it was too late. Aragorn, Ginny, Boromir, and Aphrodite were thrown to the ground in front of the oncoming uruk-hai.

"Brace the gate!" Theoden yelled. "Hold them!" Men and elves rushed forward.

"Aphrodite!" Legolas and Sirius yelled. They both jumped off the battlements to where the Aphrodite was.

"Damn you, you idiot," Theodred cursed. He leapt over the battlement after his lover. Theoden's eyes widened in horror as he saw his son jump down.

"Hado i phillinn," Aragorn ordered the elves who had also fallen to the ground with them. Gimli jumped over the edge as the elves began firing at the uruks. "Herio!" Aragorn, Sirius, Theodred, Boromir, Ginny, Aphrodite, Legolas, Gimli and the elves charged into the uruk-hai army. They began hacking at the enemy.

"Aragorn! My Prince!" Hama shouted. "Fall back to the Keep! Get your men out of their!" Aragorn nodded. Theodred grabbed Sirius and Aphrodite's arms and started pulling them away. Legolas and the others ran after them.

Aragorn gasped when he saw where Haldir was surrounded by uruk-hai. "Go!" Luna yelled as she ran by. "I'll get him!" Luna charged into the fray next to Haldir. "Na baraad! Na baraad! Na baraad, Haldir!" Haldir turned towards her voice and started running after her. He gasped as an uruk knife entered the small of his back. "No!" Luna shouted. "Bombarda!" The uruk-hai were blasted backwards away from Haldir. Luna ran forwards and knelt down in front of him. Luna gently pulled the knife from Haldir's back. "Vulnera Sanentur," she hissed, pointing her wand at Haldir's wound. It immediately closed up. Luna helped Haldir up and back into the Keep. Haldir stumbled as the doors closed behind them.

Legolas and Aragorn pulled a dazed Haldir into a tight hug. Aphrodite and Ginny were next. "Brace the gate!" Gamling yelled.

"How long do you need, Father?" Theodred panted. He grabbed Sirius' shoulder for support.

"Hold them!" Sirius yelled at the soldiers.

"As long as you can give me, my son," Theoden replied.

Theodred nodded. He, Sirius, Aragorn, and Gimli slipped through a side door. "It's a long way," Aragorn smirked at Gimli. The short dwarf would have trouble jumping the distance.

Gimli looked around Aragorn and frowned. "Toss me," he grumbled. He scowled up at the man.

"What was that?" Aragorn asked, his smirk widening. He just couldn't believe the dwarf was admitting that.

"Toss me," Gimli repeated. "I cannot jump the distance. Just don't tell the elf." He was struggling to admit that.

Sirius snorted as Aragorn tossed Gimli over the distance. He followed close behind him. Theodred took up the rear. "I'm so telling the elf," Sirius mumbled to himself.

The soldiers quickly braced the gate. "Fall back!" Theoden yelled to his son and the others.

"Siri!" Aphrodite yelled from her position back on the battlements. She tossed a rope down. Sirius grabbed it and pulled Theodred to him. Sirius grabbed Theodred around the waist. Theodred wrapped his arms around Sirius' neck and buried his face in it. Aragorn grabbed the rope too. He pulled Gimli to him. Legolas, Boromir, and Aphrodite pulled the rope up, lifting the others up with a little difficulty.

"Are you scared of heights?" Sirius asked Theodred teasingly as Theodred's grip around him got tighter the higher in the air they got.

"Don't you dare tell anybody," Theodred hissed into his neck. Sirius smirked and kissed Theodred's head. He silently vowed to protect this man until his death.

"Wouldn't dream of it, love."

"Into the Keep!" Hama ordered. Everyone ran inside.

"Look," a ranger gasped. "Osgiliath burns." He ran away from Faramir and Hermione into the battle.

"Mordor has come," a second one moaned.

"Where is the passage?" Hermione asked Faramir. "We need to hurry." She picked up Frodo. Faramir lifted Sam. They started running towards Osgiliath. Gollum followed closely behind them. The other rangers joined the Gondor warriors that were already fighting the orcs.

"Faramir, Hermione," Madril gasped. "Orcs have taken the eastern shore. Their numbers are too great."

"Keep fighting," Faramir ordered. "We'll join you soon." Faramir quickly led the others through the tunnel. "Go through here," he ordered, putting Sam down. Sam and Frodo quickly rushed through. Gollum tried to follow, but Faramir stopped him. "If they get hurt, you will have me to answer to, Creature," he hissed. Faramir shoved him through the passage. Faramir turned around to join Hermione in the battle.

"The fortress is taken," Theoden groaned. "It is over." He stood next to his son in front of his men.

"You said this fortress would never fall while your men defend it," Ginny growled. "They still defend have died defending it!" She grabbed Boromir's hand. "You can't give up now."

"Take the women and children through the mountain pass," Theodred ordered. Two young boys left to follow their prince's orders. "We must ride out and meet them."

"For death and glory," Theoden said. Sirius shook his head at the king, but it was Theodred who spoke.

"For Rohan and its people," he corrected. He swung his leg over Brego's back. Sirius slid up behind him. Aphrodite and Legolas climbed on a horse together. George climbed on his own. Luna and Haldir shared a horse, as did Ginny and Boromir. Gimli was seated in front of Aragorn. Theoden climbed onto his own horse.

"The sun is rising," Gimli said, looking out the window. He stretched his head to see the window at the top of the wall.

"Look for my coming at the dawn of the sixth day," Aphrodite repeated Gandalf's words. She smiled at the thought of seeing her grandfather.

"Forth Eorlingas!" Theoden shouted. The riders charged forward into the midst of the oncoming uruk-hai.

"Rohirrim!" Eomer shouted from the distance of the forest. "To the king!" The Riders of Rohan charged forwards. Daphne pointed her wand at orcs, blasting them with fire while her free arm remained wrapped around her fiancèe's waist.

"Eomer!" Theodred cheered. Eomer, Gandalf and the riders charged into the uruks, easily taking out half the army. The other uruk-hai rushed into the forest.

"Victory!" Theoden yelled. "We have victory!" Theodred turned around on the horse and pulled Sirius into a heated kiss. Sirius groaned and wrapped his arms around Theodred's waist. Eomer raised an eyebrow at his cousin's boldness. Theodred had been in love with the wizard for many years now, but had yet to make a move.

"What are you smirking about?" Daphne grinned before pulling Eomer into a kiss of their own. Eomer smirked into the kiss.


End file.
